McKinney ISD Approves Aramark Contract, Raising Student Meal Prices in 2026-27

By the time McKinney ISD students fill their trays on the first day of school Aug. 13, the cost of that cafeteria breakfast will have ticked upward by a dime. The board of trustees voted March 23 to renew the district's contract with Aramark Educational Services, locking in new paid meal prices for the 2026-27 school year.

Breakfast under the renewed contract will cost $1.60. Elementary-campus lunch rises to $3.20, and secondary-campus lunch climbs to $3.45. Families whose children qualify for free or reduced-price meals see no change under the renewal.

The approved contract represents the first of four one-year renewal options built into the district's existing agreement with Aramark. Rather than opening a new competitive procurement, the board exercised that first option, keeping continuity in food service across MISD's campuses throughout Collin County.

The nutrition vote was one of several actions trustees took March 23. The board also authorized campus refresh projects at three MISD schools and opened preliminary budget discussions for fiscal year 2026-27, steps district leadership has framed as part of routine fiscal planning. Trustees are scheduled to continue those deliberations at their April 20 meeting.

The price adjustments are modest in nominal terms: a 10-cent jump at the breakfast line and incremental increases at lunch depending on campus level. But in a district absorbing some of the fastest enrollment growth in Collin County, even small cost shifts draw scrutiny from family advocates and school finance observers tracking how districts balance operating expenses against household budgets.

Families who believe they may qualify for free or reduced-price meals can apply at any point during the school year through MISD's online application portal or a paper form submitted through the school nutrition office.

With the Aramark contract settled for another year, the board's budget work moves to the foreground heading into April. District leaders have been mapping fiscal 2026-27 priorities around enrollment projections and campus-level needs, with the April 20 session expected to advance those conversations.