Students who pay for Vicksburg Warren School District lunches will be digging a little deeper this fall, thanks to higher prices on such lunch staples as milk and corn.

Student lunches for all grades will now be $2.25 and adult lunches will rise to $3.

Both prices are up 50 cents per day or $2.50 per week.

Student breakfasts will still cost the same – 75 cents for elementary students and $1 for junior high students.

The new fees were approved Thursday at the board of trustees’ monthly meeting.

Milk in particular has seen a sharp increase, said Director of Child Nutrition Gail Kavanaugh.

&#8220Our milk bill went up $139,000 in one year.” Kavanaugh blamed the 30 percent milk increase, in part, on high fuel costs. &#8220We are, of course, like everyone else, experiencing a lot of increase as far as our grocery bill goes.”

Although the district receives allocations for its meal program through the federal free and reduced lunch program, Kavanaugh explained the USDA program funds are not enough to subsidize the entire program, even with a small increase expected in the federal allocation.

&#8220There’s no way 3 percent can help us,” she said. &#8220If school districts don’t cover costs through the grants and daily sales, &#8220the school district has to pick up the loss.”

She told trustees that asking for an increase was also a proactive move in anticipation of ongoing price increases.

&#8220What we did not want to do is come back next year and ask again,” for an increase, she said.

About 80 full time and 30 temporary staff operate the meal programs at the district’s 14 schools.

Among Mississippi’s 154 school districts, the VWSD has 66th lowest percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. Statewide the average is about 60 percent who qualify.

Also Thursday, Superintendent James Price and the trustees announced that Warren Central High School assistant principal Sharon Williams will become principal of Vicksburg Intermediate. Williams replaces Charles &#8220Bubba” Hanks, who was transferred from Vicksburg Intermediate to serve as principal at Redwood Elementary.

&#8220We look forward to the good work she’ll continue that Mr. Hanks started,” said Price.