Free meals for all offered at two more schools
The Kingston school district has added J. Watson Bailey and M. Clifford middle schools to the list of buildings where breakfast and lunch will be free to all students.
Ninety-one percent of the cost will be covered by the National School Lunch Act. The balance will be paid by the district.
The school district’s food service director, Ed Carelli, said making meals free for everyone in a school is “based on a computation of how many of our students are ... already approved [for free and reduced-price meals] through services like Social Services.”
Carelli said if at least 40 percent of the student population in a school is approved for price breaks, the district can offer free meals to everyone in the building.
Meals already are offered free to all students in four of the district’s seven elementary schools: Chambers, Harry L. Edson, John F. Kennedy and George Washington.
“We’re anticipating that by giving free [meals] to students that more students are going to participate,” Carelli said. “Usually it’s the second year where the numbers go up because the first year is a learning curve for everybody . ...
“I’m anticipating participation with go up by 10 percent the first year,” he added. “I’m planning to start two breakfast lines at the middle schools so we can handle it within the short breakfast period that we have.”
District officials, noting that students perform better academically when they’re no hungry, hope offering meals at no cost to all students will improve scholastic achievement.
In 2017-18, Bailey Middle School, in the city of Kingston, served an average of 91 breakfast and 478 lunches per day, while Miller, in the town of Ulster, served a daily average of 142 breakfasts and 379 lunches.
For those in the elementary and middle school grades (K-8) who pay full price for meals, the cost is $1 per breakfast and $2.60 per lunch.