Photo from Vestavia Hills City Schools Facebook page
A student goes through the cafeteria line in a Vestavia Hills school.
The Vestavia Hills Board of Education on Monday approved a 50-cent increase in cost for breakfasts and lunches served in all Vestavia Hills public schools.
That means the cost for a K-12 breakfast in the 2026-27 school year will be $2.25 instead of $1.75. Lunch prices will rise from $2.50 to $3 for elementary students and from $3 to $3.50 for middle and high school students.
Parents and visitors will see their breakfast cost rise from $3.25 to $3.75 and their lunch cost increase from $5 to $5.50. School staff will see breakfast costs rise from $2.50 to $3 and lunch prices increase from $4 to $4.50
This is the first increase in student meal prices in 10 years, Child Nutrition Director Amanda Carlson said in a memo to the school board. It’s necessary to address significant increases in food, labor, benefits, supplies and operating costs while maintaining the high-quality meals and service students receive, Carlson wrote.
“Even with this adjustment, Vestavia Hills Cty Schools’ meal prices will remain competitive with neighboring districts,” Carlson wrote.
U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations also require that adult meals be priced at a level that fully covers their associated costs.
Superintendent Todd Freeman said the recommendation to raise meal prices was not made lightly but was necessary to keep the child nutrition budget whole and meet all the federal regulations that come with the program.
“It’s still the best deal in town,” Freeman said.
The school board also on Monday approved contracts with several suppliers for the child nutrition program, including $1,331,800 to Regional Produce for milk and dairy products, $636,060 to Forestwood Farm for fresh produce, $185,297 to Davis Ice Cream Alabama for ice cream products, $45,083 to Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United Central for bottled and canned beverages, and $40,340 to Singer H&R for smallware and kitchen supplies.
The contracts were handled through the Central Alabama Child Nutrition Consortium that includes schools in Vestavia Hills, Bessemer, Cullman County, Fairfield, Homewood, Leeds, Midfield, Pelham, Pell City, St. Clair County and Trussville.
The Vestavia Hills school board also on Monday:
- Approved the list of school fees for the 2026-27 school year for each individual school in the city, except Vestavia Hills High School. See those fee sheets here.
- Approved what was described as minor changes to the parent/student handbook for the 2026-27 school year. See the new handbook here.
- Approved an extension of a contract with former Vestavia Hills football coach Buddy Anderson as the school system’s “dean of student services,” a part-time position for which he will be paid $40,000 a year. Anderson retired after the 2020 football season as the winningest coach in Alabama high school history, with 346 wins in 43 seasons.
- Amended the job title for the school system’s nurse administrator to director of health services
- Approved a new salary supplement schedule for the 2026-27 school year for athletic coaches, extracurricular sponsors, lead custodians, lead music teachers and communication liaisons at each school. See that supplement schedule here.
- Approved a change order for the parking lot and driveway improvements at Vestavia Hills High School, reducing the cost by $50,722 to $578,625
- Approved a contract with CT General Contractors to improve the bathrooms at the Vestavia Hills High School softball fields for $198,606
- Approved a sponsorship and athletic training services agreement with Baptist Health, by which the school board will pay $125,000 for the services of five full-time athletic trainers at 40 hours per week each, and Baptist Health will pay the school system $185,000 (including $155,000 for being the exclusive health care sponsor for Vestavia Hills City Schools athletic events and $30,000 to support athletic training services)
- Approved a license for Lane de Kozan to use the school system’s trademarks and logos on various products she sells
