Students at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Walt Whitman and Walter Johnson high schools will pay $3.10 for lunch when classes start Tuesday, Aug. 25, a 30-cent increase that adds roughly $54 to a family's annual tab if their child buys lunch every school day.

The Montgomery County Board of Education unanimously approved the price hike at its May 21 meeting, the first increase since 2015. Breakfast rises to $1.60, and elementary school lunch goes to $2.85. All seven board members present voted in favor: Grace Rivera-Oven, Brenda Wolff, Rita Montoya, Karla Silvestre, Laura Stewart, Julie Yang and Natalie Zimmerman. Student member Anuva Maloo was absent.

The board cited rising food and labor costs.

The proposal was first presented April 30 and postponed to the May meeting.

Students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals through the FARMS program are not affected. MCPS said no child will be denied a meal regardless of ability to pay.

Gender identity disclosure policy now in effect

Separately, MCPS revised its gender identity guidelines in April, one of several policy changes taking effect this school year. Under the updated policy, school staff are now required to share information about a student's gender identity with a parent or guardian who requests it. The change took effect April 27.

That marks a reversal from previous district guidelines, which stated students had a right to keep their gender identities private and warned that disclosure could violate privacy laws, according to Bethesda Magazine.

MCPS described the shift as a response to "recent legal developments" and expanded parental rights under Maryland law. The revision followed an April 7 complaint filed by America First Legal, a conservative legal group, which argued the district's previous policies violated the U.S. Constitution and federal student privacy laws.

The district said staff will still be expected to approach conversations with students carefully, especially when students have concerns about information being shared at home. In a statement, MCPS acknowledged the policy "represents a meaningful shift" and said it remains committed to balancing legal obligations with "student privacy, trust and well-being."

The next Board of Education business meeting is Thursday, Aug. 20, at 4 p.m.