PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- School districts are scrambling to find ways to cover the rising price of food so they don't have to pass the cost onto students.

The price of milk has gone up 35 percent since September, and it’s not the only increase school lunch programs are facing.

Solange Morrisette of Sodexho Food Services said the prices of bread, produce, meat and poultry have also gone up.

"Overall, food cost has risen about 18 percent this year," Morrisette said.

Higher costs are squeezing many school lunch program budgets.

The cost of Pawtucket's lunch program has risen about 10 percent this year. The costs have not been passed onto students, but federal reimbursements are not keeping pace.

So, districts and food vendors are trying to figure out ways to absorb the costs.

Morrisette said Sodexho has offered locally grown potatoes.

"It's helping the local economy, it's healthy, and -- believe it or not -- they're less expensive," Morrisette said.

Adding pressure to budgets are new nutrition guidelines that all Rhode Island school districts will have to follow in 2009. Among the new rules, all lunches will have to include three fruits or vegetables.

Portion sizes can't be reduced because they are controlled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The state Department of Education said it would be very unusual for a school district to raise prices during the school year, but that districts are free to do that if necessary.