Public schools last increased their lunch prices in 2001, but the $1 price still covers only one-third of the cost of preparing the meals, according to Department of Education officials.

"The cost of food has gone up, employee wages have gone up, so between the cost of personnel and food costs, we're asking for the raise in the school lunch so we would be able to maintain the program without going into debt," Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto told the board.

"It's just costing too much money," she said. "The price of milk, we can't believe how much it's increased this year."

The Hawai'i public school system prepares 140,000 to 150,000 lunches each day. Many students qualify for federal subsidies that allow them to pay less than the full $1, or to eat lunch free.

The board voted last night to forward a draft bill to the Legislature that would authorize the DOE to increase the price of lunches. Lawmakers have not always gone along with lunch increase proposals.

Prices were increased from 45 cents to 75 cents in 1993, but lawmakers rejected several efforts to raise lunch prices in the years that followed, before agreeing to another hike in 2001.

Another proposal that will be offered to lawmakers this year would shift almost 260 public school principals from their 10-month work schedule to a 12-month schedule. A survey of principals conducted last summer found they are overwhelmingly in favor of the idea, according to a DOE report that now goes to the Legislature.

The report, approved by the board in its meeting at Mountain View Elementary School last night, outlines a plan to increase the principals' pay by 20 percent to compensate them for the additional two months they would work.

The report estimates that would cost $4.1 million a year, and Hamamoto said it would be difficult or impossible to shift the principals to a year-round schedule unless the Legislature is willing to cover the cost.

One possibility that would reduce the cost would be to convert secondary school principals to 12-month employees initially, and convert other principals later, she said.

Hamamoto said the average principal's salary today falls within a range from about $55,000 to about $75,000.

"What we've found is that in order to get all the things done in the course of the year, primarily the training, we find the principals need to be on board 12 months," Hamamoto said.

Schools continue to provide special education services during the summer, and principals should be available to oversee those activities, she said.

State lawmakers approved Act 51 last year to give principals more authority over spending at their schools, but those additional responsibilities will also require additional training, she said. The summer months would be ideal for completing that training.

The proposed new principals' schedule is an issue that must be negotiated with the principals' union, the Hawai'i Government Employees Association. Leiomalama Desha, field services officer for HGEA, said the union wants both principals and vice principals converted to 12-month employees.

"I think administrators understand that they don't run schools alone, so it makes it rather awkward, to say the least, if their vice principals remain at 10 months," she said.