Hays CISD trustees pulled increasing cafeteria lunch prices by 10 cents from the agenda after receiving news that the district may qualify for an exemption.

Chief Financial Officer Annette Folmar said that her staff received an email Monday from the United States Department of Agriculture stating that if the district met a series of qualifications, it may be be able to delay raising the lunch prices for a school year.

To better understand what the exemption would entail and if it is in the best interest of the district, Folmar pulled the action item and requested it would be brought back for the May 21 and 29 board of trustee meetings.

To receive federally funded free and reduced lunches, Folmar said the district is required to increase the lunch price if the price is less than what the federal government pays for free meals and reduced lunches given to the district. However, school districts are only required to increase the price by a minimum of 10 cents.

The current prices for a lunch meal are $2.60 at the elementary schools and $2.80 at the middle and high schools.

The district has been mandatorily increasing the lunch price since 2010, according to Folmar. Breakfast prices are not affected.

Public Information Officer Tim Savoy said while the district is required to raise lunch prices to cover food charges, the administration only increases the price by the minimum because they understand how it can affect families.