csantee@journalnet.com

POCATELLO - The District 25 School Board voted to raise the prices of student meals Tuesday due to inflationary costs, which officials projected could leave the food service department $43,000 in the red this school year.

By increasing lunches

8 cents per meal and breakfasts 6 cents on Jan. 5, officials expect to generate an extra $50,000, putting the self-sufficient food program back in the black.

"We will continue to see how things go the rest of the school year," said Bart Reed, District 25 business manager.

Reed cited higher food, fuel and other costs as the reason for the meal price increase. He noted that falling gas prices could help curb the need for future hikes.

During Tuesday's board meeting, Reed also reported that the number of free meals increased significantly from 1998-99 to 2007-08, from about 435,000 meals to about 495,000. However, the number of reduced price meals fell during that same time period. Reed said the reason is likely that many of the children who were receiving reduced price meals now receive free meals.

District officials also discussed the following matters Tuesday:

n Patty Mortensen, director of secondary education, said the district is assembling a committee of teachers, school administrators and parents who will research how to move sixth-graders from half of the district's elementary schools into middle schools to alleviate overcrowding.

n Bob Devine, director of secondary education, said new "lunchtime academies" at the district's middle and high schools are helping students make up missing assignments and raise grades during their lunch hours.