Derbyshire mum 'furious' at rising school meal prices
It's as pupils across the country start their new school term this week
Schools across the country re-open their doors this week for the start of a new term.
In summer, Derbyshire County Council announced a price increase to their school meals. This has been met with a backlash by many parents across the county.
Last term, one school meal would cost £2.30, this has now risen to £3.25.
Glossop mum-of-two, Jayne Stephenson, will have to pay the over 40% price hike for her son, who is now in Key Stage 2: "I've made the decision that it is not financially viable to pay £3.25 a day for one meal. That's a lot of money over the year. That's almost one month salary if you are just above the threshold to qualify for free school meals. It's phenomenal really.
"It equates to £51 a month for one child. As soon as my youngest goes into Key Stage 2 we're looking at £100 a month.
"This is going to continue to happen, this is the reality of it. £3.25 is unreachable for a lot of families, so what's the alternative?
"Derbyshire need to look at their menu. Is this really justifiable, £3:25, a family of three paying £9.75 for three hot dogs? It's a massive problem."
Councillor Alex Dale, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “The decision to increase meal prices has been an incredibly difficult one which we’ve made very reluctantly, given the pressures we know families across the county are facing. However, unfortunately our catering service is not immune to the soaring costs of ingredients and staffing.
“The increase has been calculated to only cover those increased costs so that the service can continue to be viable and sustainable for the future, and there is no intention - nor are we legally allowed - to make any profit from school meals. Our prices have always compared favourably to other local authorities and catering services.
“Evidence shows that a nutritious meal can boost a child’s ability to learn so it’s vitally important that we don’t compromise on quality, healthy ingredients or reduce meal portion sizes. It’s also particularly important that we continue to provide quality food for children in low-income families who may rely on us for a hot meal every day.
“Our school catering service have been doing a fantastic job in a very challenging time and a portion of the price increase will cover increased staffing costs, helping to retain our 1,500 valued staff.
“We are acutely aware that the cost of living crisis continues to put lots of families under significant pressure and I’d encourage anyone who may be struggling to look at the support available through the Household Support Fund, check their eligibility for free school meals or get general support and advice details of which are available on our website.”