Prior Lake opts out of Minnesota’s free school meals program

PRIOR LAKE, Minn. — Starting this year, nearly every student in Minnesota eats free breakfast and lunch at school. To qualify for free meals, schools must be enrolled in the national lunch and breakfast programs. 
While most schools in the state now offer those free meals, two public schools have decided to opt out: Prior Lake High School and Byron High School.
Prior Lake Savage Area Schools said the decision was based on community feedback, which showed a “strong preference for greater meal flexibility and variety.” Options, the school says, aren’t possible under the program.
“I grew up in Prior Lake. I trust this school district and I understand the choices they made,” said Kelly Banyai. 
Banyai has two children who attend Prior Lake High School. She and her daughter Addison both participated in two surveys the district conducted last spring about the meal program.
The district said the first survey was conducted in March and found that parents prioritized saving money. 
The district then did a two-week trial simulating what the meals would look like under federal standards. They conducted another survey afterward and collected feedback from 390 parents/guardians, 19 staff members and 417 students.
“Feedback from the trial included positive comments about our current meal program and concerns regarding the smaller portion sizes and reduced variety in the trial,” a district spokesperson said.
Addison said she disliked the food that was offered during the trial. 
“Terrible. It was just like a snack basically. I was hungry before I got to class,” she said, noting that much of the fruit that was given to students was thrown out.
Not everyone agrees with the district’s decision. 
“How can we make kids go hungry just so other kids can buy ice cream?” Kim Fortin questioned. 
Her daughter is in ninth grade at Prior Lake High School, so they couldn’t participate in the surveys last year.
“It’s people who have money making decisions for families who have less money,” Fortin said. 
She worries about families who don’t quite qualify for free or reduced meals but still struggle financially. 
“Kids in all other districts get to eat and we have kids that have to go to class hungry. It’s not right, it’s just not right,” she said.
WCCO heard from several other parents who said they felt the district wasn’t transparent with the process and still haven’t heard the results from the survey. Fortin wishes the district would start the process over with a new survey. 
“Parents only, one question. Should Prior Lake remain off the free lunch program? Yes or no. Add up the answers, publish the data,” she said. 
In a statement, a district spokesperson said, “If any family has concerns about their child’s ability to afford meals at PLHS, we are committed to making sure cost is never a barrier. We work with families to provide financial assistance, ensuring that every student has access to nutritious meals. Our program is financially self-sustaining and offers free breakfast to all students, with lunch priced at an affordable $3.25. Our goal is to meet the needs of every student while maintaining the quality and variety that our community values.”
Dr. Mike Neubeck, the Superintendent of Byron Public Schools, noted similar reasons for opting out of the program. 
In an email, Neubeck wrote, “Our students and families appreciate the options and the size of portions compared to what they once received on the food program. We also find that we have minimal waste of food because the students are able to pick what they eat. This is why Byron stayed with this type of food plan at the high school level.”