By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Hays USD 489 school board approved school fees for the 2026-27 school year at its meeting Tuesday night.

All of the fees will stay the same with the exception of school meals.

Breakfast will continue to be free for all students.

Elementary student lunches will cost $2.85. Middle school lunches will cost $3, and high school lunches will cost $3.10.

Superintendent Ron Wilson said the increase in food cost made the price increase necessary. He said the district should be increasing the prices more.

"Ten cents would have been the best scenario, but we understand that everyone is feeling the pinch," he said.

<a href="https://usd489nutritionservices.com/">An application for free and reduced-price lunches can be found on the district nutrition webpage HERE.</a>

All children 1-18 in Hays are also eligible for the free summer drive-through meal program.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ea12b40c-254b-4e19-bad3-967bf74677d0">SEE RELATED STORY: Free summer meals offered through Hays USD 489</a>

A complete list of fees can be found below.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774911007314.jpg" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Hays USD 489 school board approved school fees for the 2026-27 school year at its meeting Tuesday night.All of the fees will stay the same with the exception of school meals.Breakfast will continue to be free for all students.School lunches will increase by 5 cents.Elementary student lunches will cost $2.85. Middle school lunches will cost $3, and high school lunches will cost $3.10.Superintendent Ron Wilson said the increase in food cost made the price increase necessary. He said the district should be increasing the prices more."Ten cents would have been the best scenario, but we understand that everyone is feeling the pinch," he said.<a href="https://usd489nutritionservices.com/">An application for free and reduced-price lunches can be found on the district nutrition webpage HERE.</a>All children 1-18 in Hays are also eligible for the free summer drive-through meal program.&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ea12b40c-254b-4e19-bad3-967bf74677d0">SEE RELATED STORY: Free summer meals offered through Hays USD 489</a>A complete list of fees can be found below.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/5/1778612138877.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>

Hays USD 489 school board approves fees for 2026-27 school year