In Mykolaiv, there are plans to raise the cost of school meals starting September 1

The cost of breakfasts and lunches for schoolchildren in Mykolaiv may be revised before the start of the new school year. In the near future, the city council’s executive committee will decide whether to revise the maximum cost of meals in accordance with the new state funding rules.

On July 8, the Executive Committee of the Mykolaiv City Council plans to consider a draft amendment to the resolution establishing the maximum cost of meal services in the city’s educational institutions. The document was prepared to bring local regulations into line with the new rules for using state subsidies to provide free meals to students.

According to the draft resolution, starting September 1, 2026, new maximum prices for school meals will be set for schools where instruction takes place in an in-person or hybrid format. These prices will apply to students whose meals are funded by the state budget and the budget of the Mykolaiv City Territorial Community.

For the first shift, it is proposed to set the cost of breakfast at 75.90 hryvnia for children aged 6 to 11, 85.80 hryvnia for students aged 11–14, and 95 hryvnia for students aged 14–18.

For the second shift, the maximum cost of lunch may be 94.20 hryvnia for children aged 6–11, 110.40 hryvnia for students aged 11–14, and 121.70 hryvnia for high school students aged 14–18.

The draft also provides for the removal of two subparagraphs from the current resolution that regulated the previous procedure for organizing meals.

The explanatory note to the document states that the changes are necessary to regulate the use of state subsidies in accordance with Resolution No. 1456 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which sets forth the conditions for funding free meals for students in general secondary education institutions.

The executive committee of the Mykolaiv City Council is expected to make a final decision on the introduction of the new price caps during a meeting scheduled for July 8. If the draft is approved, the new rates will take effect on September 1, 2026.

In March, a pilot digital project was launched in the Mykolaiv region to strengthen quality control over meals in educational institutions. The main goal of the pilot is to transition the monitoring of school cafeterias to a transparent online format, which will allow for the prompt tracking of compliance with sanitary norms and menu standards.

Анна Бальчінос