School lunches will cost more come the next academic year thanks to a new federal law.

The June 11 Unionville Chadds Ford School Board work session included a discussion of the implementation of the federal law titled “The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act” and the 25 cent increase in school lunches for the 2012 – 2013 school year. The elementary cafeteria lunch will cost $2.50 and the high school lunch will increase to $2.75

According to Marie Wickersham, the district’s supervisor of food service, “The new meal requirements will raise standards for the first time in more than 15 years and improve the health and nutrition of our students that participate in school meal programs. The final standards make dietary changes many parents are already encouraging at home.”

Those changes include:

• Ensuring students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week;
• Substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods;
• Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties;
• Limiting calories based on the age of children being served to ensure proper portion size; and
• Increasing the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats and sodium.

“When it comes to our children,” said school board member Kathy Do, “we must do everything possible to provide them the nutrition they need to be healthy and ready to learn.”

Business Manager Robert Cochran said he will post additional information about the cafeteria food nutrition requirements triggered by “The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act” on the web site http://www.ucfsd.org/?reload.

Other business

• Superintendent John Sanville and Rick Hostetler, supervisor of buildings and grounds led a joint discussion of the incremental maintenance costs incurred by the district when athletic fields or building facilities are used by outside groups. A policy change will be implemented by the district administration to charge outside groups like the Southern Chester County Soccer Association and KAU Little League.

The amounts charged will allow the district to recoup incremental costs.

Sanville said he would. “… lead further discussion of this policy change at the June 18 School board meeting and welcome school board and public input regarding this policy change.”

• Cochran said there has been no additional funding for the school district from Pennsylvania legislature education budget changes.

Keith Knauss, the finance committee chair said “The final 2012 – 2013 budget will be voted on at the June 18 school board meeting.   Delaware County property owners will see a decrease of 1.74 percent and Chester County property owners will see a 2.65 percent increase in their school tax assessments.

• The June 18 meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Unionville Elementary School auditorium. Charles F. Patton Middle School Principal Bruce Vosburgh’s retirement will be one of the topics of board discussion.

-- By Jim Phreaner