Lunch prices rising in QPS
Published 7:25 pm Wednesday, May 20, 2026
QUINCY — The Quincy School Board agreed Wednesday night to boost lunch prices for the coming school year.
Prices will increase a dime in the 2026-27 year to $3.15 for grades K to 5, $3.40 for grades 6 to 12 and $3.90 for adults. Breakfast price will remain $1.75 for all students.
Quincy Public Schools each year reviews lunch prices to ensure they meet requirements of the federal Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
The act requires districts participating in the National School Lunch Program to provide the same support for lunches served to students who are not eligible for free or reduced price lunches as provided for lunches served to students eligible for free or reduced price lunches — ensuring sufficient funds are provided to the food service account for paid lunches.
A formula determines the weighted average for paid school lunches, and if less than $4.16 for the 2025-26 school year, prices must increase for the coming year.
“The minimum we would have to raise them is 10 cents, but we could go up to 28 cents. We’re choosing to do the minimum,” QPS Chief of Business Operations Ryan Whicker said.
Also Wednesday, board members recognized two retiring administrators — Academy Director Marcey Wells and Baldwin Principal Jim Sohn.
“We do have several other retirees and did want to recognize them, thank them,” Board President Shelley Arns said. “We always have these changings of the guard, and we definitely want all of our staff to know they are valued and appreciated for all of their hard work over the many years they’ve dedicated to QPS.”
In other action, board members:
• Heard an update on the Quincy Together community engagement workshops, which wrapped up Tuesday night. The facilitating team will meet once more to finalize a report to the board expected in June.
“It’s been eye-opening, lots of good feedback,” Arns said. “Just getting better every day is what we’re working on.”
• Set June 24 public hearings on the 2025-26 amended Quincy Area Vocational Technical Center, West Central Region, Special Education Association and District 172 budgets.
The school district’s tentative amended budget reflects additional expenses tied to mitigating mold in the Quincy High School auditorium, refunding bonds to take advantage of lower interest rates and adding the Open Gate security system.
• Accepted the summer meal kit bid from Optimum Foods at a kit cost of $32.99 and an estimated overall cost of $626,810. QPS will partner with No Kid Hungry and Amazon to provide home delivery of breakfasts and lunches over the summer to eligible students.
• Approved the low bid of $1,129,000 from Peters Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc., for boiler and rooftop unit replacement at the Early Childhood and Family Center. The work will be done in summer 20207.
• Accepted the escalating bid from Energy Petroleum for the district’s 2026-27 fuel needs.
• Adopted the latest Policy Reference Education Subscription Service changes to more than 26 existing policies. Included in the updates were tweaks to the state’s Open Meetings Act which prohibit a School Board from meeting on election days and allow remote attendance for board members on active military duty.
• Named Rachael Petty as the board’s delegate to the Illinois Association of School Boards.
