Free meals offered at schools this fall

School officials this fall want to make sure empty bellies don’t get in the way of filling minds with knowledge.

For the third year, the Kingston school district will offer free breakfasts and lunches for all students at four elementary schools and drop a 25-cent charge in other buildings for students who would ordinarily qualify for reduced-priced meals.

“Our strategy in dropping the 25-cent charge for all students who qualify for reduced price meals has definitely been successful,” district Superintendent Paul Padalino said. “Our goal was to increase participation in the school’s breakfast and lunch program, and it worked.”

Officials adopted the meal policy in June 2015. Statistics for participation over the past two years were not immediately available.

Eligibility for free and reducedprice meals showed an overall increase of 1 percent in 2015-16. Five of the district’s 10 schools showed an increase, four remained the same, and one showed a decrease in participation. The highest percent of eligibility was at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Kingston, with 82 percent, while the lowest was at Ernest C. Myer Elementary School in Hurley, at 34 percent.

All students, regardless of income status, at Chambers, George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Harry L. Edson elementary schools receive free breakfast and lunch under federal Community Eligibility Provision guidelines.

Students eligible that qualify for reduced price meals have the 25cent cost waived at Kingston High School, J. Watson Bailey Middle School, M. Clifford Miller Middle School, Crosby Elementary School, Robert Graves Elementary School, and Myer Elementary School.

Padalino said the district is still seeking to get information about the programs to students.

“Challenges remain, including getting eligible families enrolled in the program,” he said. “We continue to look for more effective ways to communicate the benefits of this program with our families, in an effort to increase enrollment in the free lunch program in our remaining schools.”