MUSD board to vote on increase in lunch fees

The Maricopa Unified School District school board will consider renewal of the National School Lunch Program and donation of three Mimioteach interactive white boards to teachers from the Pima Butte Parent-Teacher Organization during its 6 p.m. meeting Wednesday.

A donation from the Federal Acquisition Service of four laptops to Pima Butte Elementary, valued at $6,449.04, also will be reviewed.

To meet the congressional mandate of equity in school lunch prices, district staff is proposing prices be raised $0.50 for elementary students and $0.25 for secondary students. This would pay for free breakfast meals assisting families with financial troubles.

Breakfast would remain free but lunch would now cost $2.75 for kindergarten through sixth-grades and $3 for seventh- through 12th-grades.

In other action, the board, which gave preliminary approval of the $36.4 million 2013-2014 school year budget June 26, is set for a final vote Wednesday.

Previously removed from board consideration by Superintendent Steve Chestnut, the district is asking for a second early release during the upcoming school year for high school staff the third Wednesday of each month. Additionally, it is asking for an early release for middle schools on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

***ADVERTISEMENT***The board will not vote, as previously scheduled, on renting middle school space to The Menta Group, a nonprofit organization that provides educational and social needs programming for special education students, after the group removed itself from negotiations.

For more information on these agenda items and others click here to get to the meeting of your choice, then click on “print agenda” and then go to “detailed agenda.” The board meets in the District Office Administration Building, 44150 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.