The cost of lunches for most grades at Austin Public Schools will raise by 10 cents for the 2015-16 school year for high school and elementary students.

The school board approved the change at Monday’s meeting, stating the decision was made to comply with federal regulations requiring the district to incrementally raise lunch prices to reach the level of reimbursement received for a free lunch.

Food and Nutrition Director Mary Weikum also said the change accounts for new nutrition regulations as she recommended the increase for kindergarten through fourth grades and the high school.

“The Hunger Free Healthy Kids act does require us to incrementally raise lunch prices until we are at the level of reimbursement of free lunch, which is around $3, and we are significantly lower than that, which is why we are requesting this increase,” Weikum said during the meeting.

The addition priced an elementary lunch at $2.20 and a secondary lunch at $2.40. Grades fifth through eighth will stay at $2.30. Breakfast will continue to be free for all students.

“We did not raise them last year,” Weikum said. “We sought a one-year exemption to not raise the prices because we do … have a fairly healthy fund balance. And so we are trying to work in the regulations as well as serve our students and families as best we can.”