Lunch prices are going up at local school

HARTINGTON — Eating a meal at school will be a little more expensive next school year.

The Hartington-Newcastle School Board Monday voted to raise the price of all lunches and breakfasts by 15 cents. Anyone wanting to pur- chase an extra milk will be charged an extra five cents, the Board decided.

Supt. A.J. Johnson said prices have to go up because the school has utilized all of its COVID funds and other funds from the federal government will no longer be available because of recent cost-cutting plans in Washington D.C. This includes funds that were used for the Local Food for Schools grant program.

Prior to raising lunch prices, the Board approved a milk bid from Hi land Dairy. Hiland was the only dairy willing to give a bid.

Supply chain assistance funding was also eliminated.

Also Monday, the Board voted to extend the contracts of several teach - ers for 17 days so they could teach summer school. Julie Steen, Maddie Sudbeck, Susan Anderson and Ladonna Kneifl are all teaching summer school this year.

Supt. A.J. Johnson also noted the special education bus the school ordered in 2024 is now here and has been working great.

The School Board’s Activities Committee planned to meet with parents of wrestlers after the meeting to determine what options they might have if Hartington-Newcastle and Cedar Catholic were to end their wrestling co-op.

The Hartington-Newcastle School Board will hold its next meeting on July 21 at 5:30 p.m.