Kiryat Malachi Cuts School Meal Fees Retroactively to Start of Year

Kiryat Malachi Municipality has announced a reduction in meal charges at the city's schools and kindergartens, lowering the daily payment from NIS 5.40 to NIS 4.50 per child. The 90-agorot reduction, about 17%, applies retroactively from the beginning of the current school year. Parents who paid the previous rate are entitled to the difference for that period. The decision followed an approach by Oren Ozen, chairman of the municipal parents' leadership, who asked Mayor Eliyahu (Lalo) Zohar to examine whether meal costs could be lowered. A professional meeting on Thursday brought together the mayor, the municipal director general, supervising accountant, treasurer, and officials responsible for education and budgets. They reviewed the cost of the meals and the available budget options while seeking to preserve the quality of the service. Zohar said the municipality listens to parents and recognizes how expenses accumulate, particularly for families with several children in the education system. He thanked the parents' leadership for raising the issue and working with the city on it. Ozen welcomed the reduction and described the decision as the result of cooperation between parents' representatives and the municipality.