Food prices are increasing across the country, and those price increases are affecting some of the youngest consumers right in Albert Lea.

The Albert Lea school board Monday approved meal price increases for the 2008-09 school year.

“We hate to do that to our students and parents,” said school board Vice Chairman Bill Villarreal. “It’s just a necessity so we don’t go backwards in our budget.”

Food Service Director Mary Nelson said prices of bread, cheese and milk staples for the school meal program increased 12 to 17 percent in the last six months.

Fuel surcharges, not in existence a year ago, are another factor driving up costs. The government is also requiring schools to serve more fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains, which is more expensive.

Breakfast and lunch prices for grades kindergarten through eighth-grade and at the Albert Lea Area Learning Center will increase 5 cents. Lunch at the high school will increase 10 cents.

Adult lunches for grades kindergarten through eighth-grade and at the ALC will increase 15 cents and at the high school will increase 10 cents.

Milk will raise from 35 cents to 40 cents.

This is a small increase with intent to use money from the fund balance to balance the food budget. The budget proposed will be a deficit budget and use $33,000 from the fund balance, according to Nelson.

“We are trying to keep increases to a minimum,” she said.

According to the Southern Minnesota Meal Price Survey, the Albert Lea School District meal prices are in the low end — placed the second least expensive — in the 10-district area. The highest prices were in Fairmont and the lowest in Austin.

School board member Sally Ehrhardt said when she was in school everything was made from scratch and asked Nelson if it would be possible to return to that, but Nelson said with increasing labor prices that may not be a fiscally responsible idea.

Nelson said cost-saving measures will be made in the coming school year. She said she is considering joining a buying group to save money on food and supplies.

“It’s a fact of life,” said Superintendent Dave Prescott. “We all look at our own food budgets and see they’re going up.

“We’re trying to be sensitive to the rising price of everything,” he continued.

In other business, the school board:

– Tabled the decision whether to transfer up to $51 per pupil unit from the capital budget to the operating budget.

– Approved the Alternative Teacher Professional Pay System Quality Compensation annual report, as presented by Kathy Niebuhr. This is the conclusion of the second year of the program. Every program made acceptable gain, Niebuhr said, and only two programs didn’t meet their goal. The law states each program must make acceptable gain and not necessarily meet the goal.

– Approved the termination and nonrenewal of two probationary teachers. Prescott said teachers with a higher licensure are needed.

– Accepted the food service and administrative assistants contracts with a 2 percent increase each year from July 1, 2007. The para-educator contract was approved with an increase of 50 cents per hour for the 2007-08 school year and no increase for the 2008-09 school year.

– Adjusted hours for the Halverson Elementary School building clerk for the 2008-09 school year. Deb Sorenson will have an additional 13 hours at a cost of $276 taken from the high school budget.

– Accepted a low bid from Ulland Brothers of $40,925 for work on the Halverson parking lot rehabilitation and $40,540 for the Lakeview Elementary School parking lot rehabilitation. Funds for the work will come from the 2008-09 capital facilities budget.

– Approved updated electronic payroll deposit, family and medical leave, middle school summer school and high school summer school policies, which were presented to the board for a second reading.

– Saw the homebound instructional services, student publications and student transportation policies for an initial reading, to be acted on at a future meeting.

– Approved a nonresident agreement for a student leaving Albert Lea schools to attend Alden-Conger School and a Glenville-Emmons student attend Albert Lea schools.

2008-09 school year meal prices

Breakfast: 80 cents

Lunch grades K-6: $1.80

Lunch grades 7-8 and at the Area Learning Center: $1.90

Lunch grades 9-12: $2.10

Adult lunch grades K-8 and at the ALC: $3

Adult Lunch grades 9-12: $3.10