School lunch rates will increase starting in the 2025-2026 school year. And even those who were exempt until now, because with an ISEE of less than 3 thousand euros, they will no longer be exempt. The decision was made by the council of the Municipality of Como with a resolution approved unanimously.
After the increase in parking fees comes other increases, which this time concern in particular families with children. However, the notice is for one year, because the new prices will come into force from September 2025. “This is an adjustment of the tariffs in order to make the budget sustainable and to be able to continue to support the service” explains the mayor Alexander Rapinese.
What pushes the Municipality to intervene is the cost borne by the administration for each single meal, which in September 2024 will reach 7.14 euros. Hence the remodulation of the tariffs and also of the ISEE bands.
The new rates. You can also pay with zero ISEE
The biggest news is that free admission will no longer exist for the lowest income groups, with ISEE between 0 and 3 thousand euros. If before the cost of the canteen was zero, from 2025 families will have to pay 2 euros per day for each child.
Increases also for the range between 3 thousand and 7,500 euros, for which the canteen will go from 2.48 euros to 3 euros. Almost a euro more for the ISEE range between 7,500 and 10 thousand euros, which will pay 5 euros per meal instead of the previous 3.97. Above 10 thousand euros the income brackets then increase, unlike what happened for the 2023 tariffs.
Between 10 thousand and 25 thousand euros the price goes from 4.97 to 6 euros. 6.20 euros per meal for the 25,000-35,000 bracket. Maximum rate, equal to 6.50 euros, for families with an ISEE over 35 thousand. The same amount will also be paid by non-residents of the city. If before, when not all members of the family unit were residents of Como, the cost of meals was supported by the Municipality, now the families will pay.
The 25% reduction for disabled students has been confirmed while the sibling discount drops from 25 to 15%.
In the resolution, however, the Municipality assures “it wants to support fragile families and prevent school dropouts by allowing free use of the canteen service for children in the care of the social services of the Municipality of Como and belonging to families with economic problems”.
The controversies. The Democratic Party: “The mayor-calculator strikes again. Penalize families again”
Palazzo Cernezzi’s decision immediately sparked controversy. From the Como Democratic Party they attack Rapinese. “The mayor-calculator strikes again – they say in a note – Penalize families again”. “After the increase that already occurred last year – they write – the latest is to raise school canteen rates again from the year 2025-2026, with increases ranging from 20% to 30% depending on the income bracket. A few euros a day, but which, spread over an entire school year, become a significant increase for Como families”.
“The destructive work does not stop – they attack from the Democratic Party – the line of the current administration never fails. The council seems to be composed of a calculator and a computer, which without any critical sense and any human sensitivity analyze data and issue measures aimed at profit”. “And those who pay – they conclude – are always the citizens, often those in greatest difficulty. This is the Como that those who govern us want: not welcoming, for the few, not family-friendly but, on the contrary, against families”.
Mayor Rapinese: “It is an adjustment to support the service.” And then the attack on the Democratic Party
“This is an adjustment of the rates to be able to continue to support the service” explains Mayor Rapinese, underlining that according to Legislative Decree 201 of 2022, the determination of reduced rates is foreseen for specific categories of users in conditions of economic or social hardship or disabled.
“The rates we had up until now were incorrect – continues Rapinese – just think that the richest people from Como today found themselves paying less than the poorest people from Varese”. The example of Varese is not by chance. “Varese has been cited several times in the Chamber by the Democratic Party, which now criticizes the decision, as an example and as a model to follow for school issues – says Rapinese – there those with zero ISEE pay a good 5 euros per meal”. “Ours – explains the mayor – are corrective measures, not increases, made to make the service sustainable and to support the 2025 budget. I wanted to make this resolution one year and three months in advance because we look to the sustainability of the future, to the contrary to what the Democratic Party has done and is doing.”
Then the attack: “I don’t accept lessons from those who, like the Democratic Party, have increased taxes 20 times, quadrupling the personal income tax. Let them shut up and go and read the resolution” says Rapinese.
