SCHOOL CANTEENS PRICES. Catering professionals are warning of an untenable situation in the face of rising inflation and soaring energy prices. As a matter of urgency, they are demanding a 9% increase in contracts with communities before the end of 2022.
[Updated November 7, 2022 at 11:36 a.m.] Do your children eat in the school canteen every day? Bad news for your wallet, the price of the meal could increase significantly. Through a forum to be published this Monday, November 7, school catering companies are preparing to lift the veil on a situation deemed catastrophic, due to rising inflation and soaring prices. Energy. As revealed by our colleagues from Le Parisien, the latter are demanding an increase in contracts “of at least 9% compared to the prices charged on January 1, 2022. And if this is not possible, we ask to be able to break the contracts”. The increase in the price of foodstuffs should be around 18% in November 2022, which raises serious doubts about the content of the meals served in school canteens, and in particular the 3.2 million schoolchildren served in a dependent canteen. from a private provider.
The inflation of foodstuffs plays a preponderant role in the worrying situation experienced at this very moment by school catering companies. It should be close to 18% in November, correlated with the surge in gas and electricity prices, and with a potato harvest which promises to be more than delicate, the rag risks burning between these companies and the communities.
Another problem is the contracts signed between companies and communities. These cover several years, so it is quite difficult to change prices along the way, despite inflation at this level. The companies, therefore, want these contracts to be “broken” in the context of a case of force majeure. In total, no less than 100,000 jobs could be threatened by this exceptional situation. The communities are trying for their part to gain some time, by renegotiating the prices since the validation of the circular by the Council of State.
For all public establishments, the calculation of the cost of the school canteen is determined by the community on which the establishment depends. For example, the department sets the rates for middle schools and the region for high schools. Generally, the calculation of the applicable rate for each child depends on the family quotient so that this rate takes into account the income and expenses of the family. This rate must also take into account any aid or subsidies received by the family for school meals.
On average, in France, a meal is charged to the family 2.70 euros. In college, the price rises to 3.30 euros on average.
The municipality is not obliged to set up school meals in primary schools. If a school catering service is provided, it must comply with certain rules. In particular, it must guarantee students a meal time of at least 30 minutes, a variety of menus and age-appropriate portions. When the school catering service exists, you can enroll your child there. It is a right for all school children. The municipality must specify the conditions of access to school meals. However, your social situation should not be an obstacle to enrolling your child. For example, it is illegal to limit access to the school canteen to children whose parents work.
The prices for the school canteen in the primary school are set by the municipality. The municipality can apply the family quotient to the rate: division of the taxable income into a certain number of parts. This number of shares depends on the situation of the taxpayer (single, married) and his dependents. This makes it possible to adapt the price of the meal to your income and expenses.
All scholarship students on social criteria, and non-scholarship students who attest to serious financial difficulties noted by the social services of the Crous will effectively be able to benefit from a full meal in university restaurants at 1 euro in 2023.
For communities setting up the “1 euro canteen” from August 1, 2022, the social rate of a maximum of one euro, allowing them to receive state aid of 3 euros, is allocated to families whose quotient family CAF is less than or equal to 1000 euros. Please note that this aid does not concern individuals directly, but only communities.
