JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Johnson City’s Board of Education (BOE) voted on Monday to raise the price of breakfast and lunch at three schools for the 2025-26 school year.

Indian Trail Middle School, Liberty Bell Middle School and Science Hill High School’s full breakfast and lunch prices will go up 25 cents each.

The board approved the change during its Monday regular meeting after Johnson City Schools Nutrition Services requested the increase, citing a financial deficit due to several reasons.

“Recent increases in both food and labor costs, combined with a federal reimbursement rate that no longer covers the full cost of producing each meal, have resulted in a financial deficit,” the request, provided in the BOE’s agenda, states (Item 7.E). “To sustain our meal program and continue delivering the high-quality standards our students deserve, an adjustment in meal pricing will be necessary.”

According to the BOE’s agenda, the following price increases will take effect at the start of the new school year:

• Indian Trail & Liberty Bell
  • Current/New
    • Breakfast $2.25/$2.50
    • Lunch $3.25/$3.50
• Science Hill
  • Current/New
    • Breakfast $2.50/$2.75
    • Lunch $3.25/$3.50

The school system’s nutrition services department noted that the price increases only apply to full-priced meal purchases, and reduced meal prices still remain the same.