See the list: Rising canteen costs force parents to cut back on school meal spend

Lasagne $11, burger $8.70, chips $7.50 - the cost of a humble lunch is soaring with many students paying more for a pie than footy fans at Adelaide Oval.

Mother of two Ivona Nizic wakes up at 5am every day to pack her kids' lunches. Ivona is pictured with her partner Danny and their children Tea 10 and Luka 8. Picture: Matt Turner.

Parents are cutting back on canteen spending as the prices of popular items at many schools have increased by up to 34 per cent.

The Advertiser surveyed 43 schools on the cost of various common items including pies, sausage rolls and ham sandwiches, which are now more expensive.

The highest price for a meat pie was $6.50 at both North Adelaide Primary School (up 16 per cent on last year) and Goodwood Primary School (up 6.5 per cent).

In 2023, the price of a pie at Adelaide Oval ($5.40) was more than $1 cheaper than the primary school offerings this year.

But the largest rise was with the price of a ham sandwich at St Thomas School Goodwood, which increased more than 34 per cent to $5.90.

Mother-of-two Ivona Nizic tries not to rely on the school canteen, waking up most days at 5am to make her children’s lunches before they head off to school.

Ms Nizic said she likes to pack healthy snacks rather than purchase items at the canteen as costs rise for popular items.

“I made it at home so I know what I’ve put into it,” Ms Nizic, 37, said.

Her children Luka, 8, and Tea, 10, bring packed lunches to Allenby Gardens Primary School each day with leftovers from dinner including goulash, steak or stew combined with pasta or rice and at least two pieces of fruit and vegetables.

“Sometimes they’ll have homemade biscuits or muffins, or a slice of some form and I try to keep it as healthy as possible but I’ll obviously put in a treat here or there,” Ms Nizic, a Department of Infrastructure and Transport worker from West Lakes, said.

Mother of two Ivona Nizic wakes up at 5am every day to pack her kids' lunches rather than order from the school canteen. Ivona is pictured with her partner Danny and their children Tea 10 and Luka 8. Picture: Matt Turner.

“I don’t do things like chips, juices, that kind of stuff to school … because it’s unhealthy and I feel it’s a sometimes food.

“Those days I’ll let them go to town, pick what they want but I do ask them what they buy.”

However, she said the canteen has “gotten a little bit better” with providing healthy food.

“They’re trying to incorporate more healthy food into their menu.”

But she said families “would definitely be impacted” by rising canteen costs.

“If the costs are going up so much like they are in shops, it would have the same effect for canteens,” Ms Nizic said.

When her kids do get to spend money at the tuck shop, they usually buy an iceblock, a dry noodle snack or a muffin.

“It’s just a little extra thing and the canteen is not open every day,” Ms Nizic said.

However, at Allenby Gardens, canteen food is reasonably priced.

“On the days where I’ve ordered them food you’d pay maybe around $8 and the amount of things they’d get, it’s fairly decent,” Ms Nizic said.

“I can totally understand how for some families it might work better and it would be much easier to just click on a few items.”

An Education Department spokeswoman said all schools and preschools were reminded in the second week of the school term to “consider the affordability of food and drink options”.

“The increased cost of food has been felt across the community and, unfortunately, canteens are not immune from price rises,” she said.

Public SA primary school canteen prices ($)

However, the state government had provided “a range of measures” to support families such as breakfast programs which resulted more than 52,000 extra meals served in schools across the state since June 2023.

At Modbury High School, a sausage roll will set families back $4.70, which represents a 27 per cent increase on last year’s price ($3.70).

Other items at the school, including pies ($5.70) and lasagne ($6.50), have risen by 50c.

Para Hills High School has experienced a similar hike for the price of sausage rolls, which have risen from $4.20 to $5.20 – a rise of about 24 per cent.

At Mitcham Girls High School, items such as pies, sausage rolls and ham sandwiches have risen by 50c.

Public SA high school canteen prices ($)

For a full meal consisting of a piece of fruit ($1), ham sandwich ($5.50) and fruit juice ($4.50), the total cost is $11.

SA Association of School Parent Communities president Janice Zerna said that while schools needed to be able to cover their costs, canteen prices should “not go too high”.

She said rising costs meant parents would “cut back on how often and what they order” at the tuck shop.

SA private primary school canteen prices ($)

“It’s a service for the school community, and it isn’t there for large profits,” Ms Zerna said.

For the second year in a row, Richmond Primary School had the most expensive item of all the schools surveyed, with lasagne setting families back $11 – up from $10 in 2023.

A lasagne with a flavoured milk at the school costs a total of almost $15.

But principal Graham Slarks said the school had not had any complaints about its prices.

He said the school had not had a canteen “for a long time” and outsourced its meal service to Vili’s Family Bakery.

“The prices they charge are exactly the same as they charge in the shop,” Mr Slarks said. Vili’s was contacted for comment.

R-12 and other private school canteen prices ($)

Tenison Woods Catholic Primary School also sells lasagne for $11, with the same price increase as Richmond.

Like Richmond, a lasagne with a flavoured milk costs about $15.

Catholic Education executive director Dr Neil McGoran said while “canteen prices are market driven”, schools tried to keep costs low.

“Schools seek to provide affordable food through school canteens and some schools also provide additional help through free breakfast programs,” he said.