The DeKalb County Board of Education voted Thursday night to raise the price of school lunches 10 cents.The current price of $1.25 for a school lunch will increase to $1.35 for pre-kindergarten students to third graders and from $1.50 to $1.60 for fourth through twelfth graders when the 2011-12 school year begins.School Nutrition Supervisor Stephanie Walker originally asked for a 25 cent increase in price to preclude her department from asking for another increase next year, but board members felt that a quarter might be excessive.According to Walker, at least an additional five cent increase is necessary to satisfy USDA recommendations.The price of breakfast for all students will remain unchanged at $1.00Walker had recommended that the price be increased by twenty-five cents partly to cover the rise in the cost of food over the next three years."The only reason that I'm asking for a quarter increase is that USDA, using the current rates of inflation, says if a school system charges as much as $2.46 for a paid lunch it would not be required to increase prices,” Walker told the board.“They want us to increase by at least five cents,” she continued. “The only reason I'm asking for a quarter is to cover us for about the next three years so I won't have to ask for it again. This is a requirement through USDA that we do that to eventually reach $2.46, which I feel we're far away from, but it is a plan for the future.