HUGHESVILLE - East Lycoming School Board passed the 2012-13 proposed general fund budget of more than $21 million at Tuesday night's meeting.
The budget has an increase of more than $1 million, or 5.03 percent, from the 2011-12 budget, David L. Maciejewski, business manager, said.
To balance the budget, the real estate tax rate will increase to 11.78 mills for the upcoming school year, which is a 0.25-mill hike, or 2.17 percent, he said.
The increases come from four main areas: health insurance, state school retirement system, cyber-charter school tuition and debt service for prior building renovations.
The budget will be open for public inspection at the school district.
The final budget adoption is scheduled at the June 19 meeting.
In other business, Mary Filler, regional manager of Nutrition Group, talked to the board about food updates for the upcoming school year.
As part of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, students will have to take more fruits and vegetables to qualify for a reimbursable lunch.
This year, students had to have three of five categories of food groups to qualify for a reimbursable lunch.
Filler said if a student had a sandwich with bread and meat, as well as milk, the lunch qualified.
Next year, students at the elementary school level will have to have either a 1/2 cup of fruit or a 3/4 cup of vegetables. At the high school level, students will have to have either a cup of fruit or a cup of vegetables.
Having a sandwich with meat and bread and a cup of fruit will qualify for a reimbursable lunch next year.
At the high school, a fruit and vegetable bar will be available to give more options for the students.
Currently, East Lycoming School District offers 50 percent of breads to be whole grain, which is the requirement for the 2012-13 school year. For the following year, all breads, including buns and pasta, must be whole grain.
Because of the additional options for food, 10-cent breakfast and a 15-cent lunch increases will occur next year.
For elementary school students, breakfast will cost 85 cents and lunch will cost $1.80.
For high school students, breakfast will cost 95 cents and lunch will cost $1.90, Filler said.
With the increase in prices, Superintendent Michael Pawlik said it is important to look to see which families in the district will qualify for reduced or free food, saying they have a need to "feed them, teach them and keep them happy."
For every nickel prices rise, 1 percent of students stop buying, Filler said.
