Two Tampa Bay area school districts—Pasco and Pinellas—will raise school lunch prices due to inflation and the anticipated effects of new tariffs.

In Pasco County, school officials voted this week to increase lunch prices by 5 percent, translating to an additional 10 to 15 cents per meal. The district emphasized that students in need can apply for free meal plans if they aren’t already enrolled in Medicaid, SNAP, or Head Start programs.

“Other families can apply for the free and reduced meal application,” said Stephanie Spinal, Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Pasco Schools. “Eligibility is based on federal poverty guidelines and processed through the USDA.”

Pinellas County Schools will also implement lunch price hikes starting this fall. Elementary school lunches will increase by 50 cents to $2.75, middle school lunches will rise by 40 cents to $3.15, and high school lunches will jump by $1 to $4.50.

Meanwhile, students in Hernando, Citrus, and Polk counties won’t be affected by price increases, as those districts participate in the USDA’s Community Eligibility Program, which provides free meals to all students. Hillsborough County Schools also announced it will not raise lunch prices for this school year or the next.

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