// BBC BUSINESS NEWS — FINANZA
Headteachers say families will struggle after another rise in school dinner prices
The latest increase means that the price of a paid for school dinner in a primary school or special school will have risen from £2.60 to £3.40 since the start of 2026
A headteacher said she believes "families are going to struggle" as the price of school dinners is to go up for the second time in a year.
The price of meals for pre-school, primary and special school pupils will go up by 30p, for post-primary pupils will they will rise by 15%. It follows an increase of just under 20% introduced by the Education Authority (EA) in January 2026.
Áine Leslie, principal of Malone Integrated College in Belfast, said this will put further pressure on families who are already worried about the cost of living crisis.
But the EA said that the amount parents would have to pay was still well below the average cost of producing a school meal, estimated at over £5.20.
The latest increase means that the price of a paid for school dinner in a primary school or special school, for instance, will have risen from £2.60 to £3.40 since the start of 2026.
Pupils eligible for free school meals will not be affected.
The rise in school dinner prices is not the only measure introduced by the EA in response to what they describe as "an exceptionally challenging financial position".
There will also be a change to some menus in schools, replacing baked desserts with cheaper alternatives.
Principal of Malone Integrated College, Áine Leslie, said she believes "families are going to struggle"