Coconut Creek Families Face Higher Broward School Lunch Prices

Coconut Creek families will face higher full-price school lunch costs when Broward County Public Schools starts the 2026-27 school year on August 10. The new prices vary by grade level, and the process for receiving free or reduced-price meals depends on the school a child attends.

New lunch prices begin August 10

For the 2026-27 school year, full-price lunch will cost $4 for elementary students, $4.35 for middle-school students and $4.50 for high-school students. Each price is $1 higher than it was during the prior school year.

Breakfast will remain free for every Broward County Public Schools student. Reduced-price lunch will continue to cost 40 cents.

Meal rules differ by Coconut Creek school

Coconut Creek High and Lyons Creek Middle are listed as non-Community Eligibility Provision, or non-CEP, schools. Families at those schools must complete a meal-benefits application if they want the district to evaluate their child for free or reduced-price lunch. Students who do not qualify will pay the applicable full price.

Coconut Palm Elementary is listed as a CEP school. Students there receive free breakfast and lunch automatically, and families do not need to submit a meal application for those meals.

Families at CEP schools may still be asked to complete an income survey. Although the survey is not required to receive free meals, the information can help determine eligibility for other district programs.

Applications opened before the school year

BCPS said meal-benefits applications and income surveys became available July 13, giving families time to complete the process before classes begin August 10. Parents should review the district’s Food and Nutrition Services guidance and verify the rules for their child’s specific school rather than assuming every Coconut Creek campus follows the same process.

Why the district approved the increase

The Broward County School Board approved the higher prices June 23 as the district’s food-service operation faced financial pressure. WLRN reported that BCPS used $720,433 in reserves to cover student meal debt from the 2025-26 school year.

That payment is tied to the prior year’s meal debt, not a separate charge created by the new 2026-27 prices. The higher lunch prices are part of the district’s effort to address pressure in its food-service operation, but the available information does not show that the increase will eliminate or fully resolve the financial shortfall.

For families paying full price, the practical change is an additional $1 per school lunch. Parents seeking meal assistance should submit an application as soon as possible, while Coconut Palm Elementary families should consider completing the income survey if they may qualify for other support. The 2026-27 school year begins Monday, August 10.

Sources

• Broward County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services: 2026-27 Meal Benefits
• BCPS district notice: 2026-27 Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Eligibility Update
• WLRN: Lunch is about to get more expensive for Broward County students