School district ups price of online lunch purchases

A $2 convenience fee has been added for lunch purchases made online through Sioux Falls School District in Sioux Falls, S.D., argusleader.com reports.

The fee was levied because of the budget strain caused by an online payment option the district implemented three years ago. Since the online system debuted, the district has spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars absorbing credit card processing fees.

Business Manager Todd Vik told the Argus Leader that the district held off as long as it could in charging the extra fee, and that the added cost is intended to have the least impact on low-income families. If the district opted not to charge for online processing, the overall price of lunch would have had to increase by 10 cents, impacting those who don’t use the service.

Parents who would rather not pay the extra fee have the option to pay for lunches by check or cash.

Read the full story via argusleader.com.