City Hall: Manchester school lunch prices won't be going up this year

Aug. 19—MANCHESTER STUDENTS won't pay more for lunch this school year after all, following a vote last week by the Board of School Committee.

Under a proposal by Jim Connors, the district's director of food and nutrition services, the cost of school lunches would have increased by 20 cents this fall. The cost of breakfast and the a la carte price for an eight-ounce carton of milk also would have gone up 20 cents.

Currently, lunch costs $2.75 at city high schools and middle schools and $2.50 at elementary schools.

The proposal called for increasing prices to $2.95 in the upper grades and $2.70 in elementary schools.

The price of breakfast at all city schools would have risen from from $1.30 to $1.50. Milk would have gone from 50 cents to 70 cents.

The school board's Committee on Finance and Facilities supported the request at its last meeting and sent it to the full board for a vote last week.

In a memo to district officials last month, Connors said the district likely would need to raise prices by at least 10 cents to meet USDA Paid Lunch Equity tool guidelines.

The guidelines require school food service programs to have level funding or surpluses so that students are able to receive free or reduced-cost lunches at a reasonable price while ensuring the food service programs are sustainable without heavy reliance on federal assistance.

Believing the requirement would not be met, Connors recommended raising the prices.

Last week, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig said the price increase no longer was necessary.

Craig asked school board members to transfer $44,166 from the district's general fund to the School Food and Nutrition Services fund, the amount that would have been raised by the proposed price increases.

"Manchester students can't learn if they are hungry, and their families shouldn't be left worrying about costs, which is why it's been a top priority for me to ensure that residents are supported in our city — from our classrooms to our communities," Craig said in a statement.

"While rising costs continue to impact communities across our state like Manchester, I remain committed to doing all I can to lessen the burden of these costs and increase city services to grow our city and better the lives of our residents.

"I just think it's a tough time to ask our families to pay more," Craig said.

The last school lunch increase approved in Manchester was a 10-cent hike in September 2019. Before that, prices were increased by 10 cents in 2018, 10 cents in 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2011, 2008, 2007 and 2001, and 15 cents in 2003 and 1998.

Name recognition for coach

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved renaming the Derryfield cross country course in honor of Joseph "Joe" O'Neil, who spent decades as the head coach of the girls cross country team and track teams at Manchester High School Central.

He is considered one of the most accomplished high school coaches in state history.

The request to rename the course was made by Manchester School District director of athletics Christine Pariseau-Telge.

In a memo to city officials, Telge wrote that O'Neil had a "profound impact on the sports of cross country, indoor and outdoor track" during his years as a coach and teacher at Central.

"In fact, he is the winningest coach in NH history with 33 state championships," Telge wrote. "For many young women runners growing up in the 80s and 90s, Joe was running. He inspired and motivated his athletes to do better, to be better and to believe in themselves. He fostered the unity of a team, of a family, that supported each other year-round."

Telger said O'Neil was instrumental in creating the cross-country course at Derryfield.

"He continued to redesign the course over the years to make it one of the best in New England, if not the United States," Telge wrote. "He also was responsible for building the Manchester Cross Country Invitational, held at Derryfield, into one of the largest high school cross country meets on the east coast."

Telge proposed adding signage to the top of the finish line with O'Neil's name and celebrating him at the Manchester High School Cross Country Invitational, scheduled for Sept. 23.

Mayoral race endorsements

Former state senator and current Ward 1 Alderman Kevin Cavanaugh's mayoral campaign has secured the endorsement of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO.

"Having known Kevin for over 30 years, I know he will bring an invaluable perspective to the corner office of the Queen City, the perspective of a New Hampshire worker," New Hampshire AFL-CIO President Glenn Brackett said in a statement.

" His work to finalize contracts for deserving municipal workers and tireless efforts to establish reasonable wages for local workers shows that he cares about the people trying to make ends meet in his community."

Brackett said Cavanaugh has a "proven track record when it comes to public education and public safety, two issues that are extremely important to our organization's membership."

Ward 2 Alderman Will Stewart released a list of small business owners in Manchester endorsing his campaign for mayor.

It included Maria Aguirre and Keating Tufts, co-owners of Boards and Brews; Sandra Almonte, owner of Don Quijote Restaurant; Alli Beaudry, co-owner of Manchvegas Brew Bus; Tim Baines, co-owner of Elm House of Pizza; Marc Lee, co-owner of Eighty Eight Coffee; Stephanie McLaughlin, owner of Savoir Faire Marketing & Communications; Jennifer Proulx, owner of The Brown Eyed Girl Salon; Aaron and Jenni Share, co-owners of To Share Brewing Co.; and Margit and Rob Wezwick, co-owners of Ash Street Inn.

"Small businesses are the beating heart of a vibrant city," Stewart said in an email. "Sure, it's great to have national or multinational chains in town. But small businesses are owned and run by people who live here. People who are invested in Manchester. People who have a stake in our shared future.

"Each one of these folks understands the challenges of starting and running a business. They're looking for their next mayor to be an advocate for small business, and a champion for a growing economy that works for everyone."

Paul Feely is the City Hall reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. Reach him at pfeely@unionleader.com.