School districts in Sarasota, Manatee, Pasco and Charlotte County are raising breakfast and lunch prices for the upcoming school year — just as the number of children receiving free and reduced meal programs drops sharply statewide.
One reason is the higher price of food. Tater tots are up 141% and applesauce up 104% over the last couple years, according to Sarasota district officials.
Meanwhile, school budgets are already tighter than ever due to rising expenses for healthcare, salaries and utilities — and pressure from Florida’s expanded voucher system which siphons money to homeschoolers and private schools.
A new problem is that thousands of children across Florida who used to get free lunch at school are no longer signed up.
The One Big Beautiful Bill, passed by Congress and signed into law under the Trump Administration last year, makes it more difficult to qualify for benefits like Medicaid and SNAP for food assistance.
Basically, there is “a list of all the kids that are on SNAP and Medicaid, and the school districts can just go through and match them up and those kids will get free lunch,” said Norin Dollard, executive director of the Florida Policy Institute.
When families drop off those lists, kids no longer get what’s called direct certification for free food at school. And it’s not because families are doing better financially, Dollard said.
“The impact on our communities is huge. There are so many kids that … these might be the only meals they get,” Dollard said.
Many families in need would have to sign up separately for free and reduced lunch programs at their local districts. It’s given out according to income limits, sometimes on a weekly or monthly scale, as a percentage of the federal poverty line.
Free lunch is offered at 130% or below of the poverty line, which could mean about $42,900 in earnings per year for a family of four. A reduced lunch costing around 40 cents per meal is offered to families earning 185% of poverty threshold, or about $61,050 for a family of four.
But it’s not easy to get parents to sign up. Some are reluctant to ask for help, while others are fearful.
“I have had families approach me, with the changes to immigration enforcement, and saying they're fearful to fill out free and reduced lunch forms,” Sarasota school board member Liz Barker said at a mid-July workshop.
“I remind them that really you don't need to be afraid of that. We're not in that business here in schools, but I do think that is another piece, an unintended consequence of some things that are happening,” she said.
School districts lose cash
When fewer children automatically qualify for programs like food stamps (SNAP) and Medicaid, and parents don't sign the necessary forms, school districts lose millions in reimbursement for meals from the federal government.
In Sarasota, the 44,000-student district saw a drop of almost 2,600 students who were automatically enrolled in free and reduced lunch, said Sara Dan, the district’s director of Food and Nutrition Services.
This was because they once participated in federal programs like SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Head Start, Migrant, or Homeless, but somehow have been removed.
And that means about $2.2 million in federal reimbursement for meals that disappears for the Sarasota school district, she said.
“Because the (federal) reimbursement rate for a free meal is about $4.70. The reimbursement for a paid meal is about 55 cents,” Dan told the July 14 school board workshop.
“In talking with other food service directors throughout the entire state of Florida, every school district is seeing this right now,” Dan said.
Price hikes
At a July school board meeting in Sarasota, students begged leaders not to raise rates for the second time in two years, saying those costs add up fast for middle class families.
"These aren't just small increases. It's over $1,500 more per student per year. To families, that's devastating,” said Kennedy Cole, a student at Booker High.
The board approved not one rate increases but two, with a second hike planned for 2027, which would take lunch prices close to $5 a day.
"It still doesn't take us out of the red, by the way. It just takes us a little better," said school board member Tom Edwards.
In the fall of 2026, breakfast in Sarasota will rise 25 cents to $2.50 daily. Elementary lunch rises 40 cents to $3.65 and high school lunch goes up 40 cents to $4.15.
In January 2027, a second increase takes effect, bringing breakfast to $2.75, elementary lunch to $3.90 and middle and high school lunch to $4.40.
Here’s what other area districts have planned, with links to sign up for free and reduced plans:
Pasco
| 2025-2026 Meal Prices | 2026-2027 Meal Prices | |
| Elementary Breakfast | $1.95 | $2.05 |
| Elementary Lunch | $3.40 | $3.55 |
| Middle Breakfast | $2.10 | $2.20 |
| Middle Lunch | $3.40 | $3.55 |
| High Breakfast | $2.10 | $2.20 |
| High Lunch | $3.95 | $4.15 |
Polk
“Our entire district is covered by the USDA's Community Eligibility Provision, so there is no charge for any student to have breakfast and lunch at any PCPS school,” said spokesperson Kyle Kennedy.
Manatee
Elementary student lunch prices increased by 25 cents to $3.50, while secondary student lunch prices increased by 15 cents to $3.75. Reduced lunch remains at .40.
“These adjustments are necessary to ensure our school district can continue offering healthy, balanced meals to students while responsibly managing rising operational costs,” said spokeswoman Jamie Carson. “We remain committed to keeping meal prices as affordable as possible for families while maintaining the quality and nutritional value of the meals we serve each day.”
Breakfast remains free for all students in Manatee. Students attending a Community Eligibility Program (CEP) school also receive a free lunch every school day.
Pinellas
“Meal prices remain the same as last year,” said spokeswoman Isabel Mascarenas.
Meal prices for 2026-2027
| Meal/Level | Paid Price | Free/Reduced Price |
| Breakfast | $0.00 | No Charge |
| Elementary Lunch | $2.75 | No Charge |
| Secondary (Middle and High School) Lunch | $3.15 | No Charge |
Hillsborough
“We are not raising our prices this year,” said spokeswoman Tanya Arja.
Breakfast - FREE for all students
Elementary Lunch - $2.25
Middle and High School Lunch - $2.75
Lunch in Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Schools - FREE
Adult Lunch - $5.00
General link to apply for free/reduced meals in Florida:
https://www.myschoolapps.com/
Sarasota:
https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/page/free-reduced-benefits
Pasco:
https://connectplus.pasco.k12.fl.us/do/fns/freereduced/
Manatee:
https://www.manateeschools.net/o/sdmc/page/free-reduced-price-meal-benefits
Hillsborough:
https://www.hillsboroughschools.org/page/free-reduced-meal-application/
Charlotte:
https://www.yourcharlotteschools.net/mealapplications
Pinellas:
https://www.pcsb.org/departments/facilities-and-operations/food-and-nutrition/free-and-reduced-meals
