Universal free meals no longer offered; students must qualify

A federal pandemic-related program that provided free school lunches to any student in grades K-12 for the past two years will no longer be available this fall after Congress chose not to extend the program.

The National School Lunch Program waivers, which expired June 30, allowed all students, regardless of financial status, to eat at school for free.

While programs such as Provision II, the Community Eligibility Provision and others will continue to provide free meals to those students and districts that qualify, the expiration of the waivers takes away the universality of the free meal at school.

With school meals no longer automatically free for everyone in most districts, students and families are being strongly encouraged to submit applications to qualify for the 2022-2023 school year.

In the Lake Hamilton School District, for the 2022-2023 year, with no aid, a student breakfast will cost $2.25 and an adult breakfast $3. Lunches start at $3 for kindergarten through fifth grade, while sixth- through 12th-grade lunches are $3.25 and adult lunches are $4.75. Though adults and guests may be charged, some area school districts, such as Hot Springs and Jessieville among others, will continue providing free meals through waivers acquired before the National School Lunch Program waivers.

Lake Hamilton School Superintendent Shawn Higginbotham said they were disappointed the program was not extended.

“This could have been a great relief for many families struggling financially and facing the extraordinary rising costs of living,” he said.

“One thing we will do to help reduce the burden for at least some students is to fund the copay for reduced-price meal eligible students. Essentially, all students who qualify, whether as free or reduced, will not be charged for their meals. All parents are encouraged to complete the meal application whether or not they believe they qualify. Some may be surprised to discover they meet the guidelines.”

As the program was in effect for two years, and came to play a central role in schools, Higginbotham said he believes there will definitely be a noticeable impact this fall when classes begin. Unlike the two previous school years, he said, students who do not meet eligibility guidelines will have to pay the full cost for breakfast and lunch — resulting in a sizable increase in cost for families that do not qualify.

He said parents need to be proactive in maintaining appropriate balances in their students’ meal accounts, noting the district provides a system for online payment options for parents

who choose to use payment forms other than cash.

Lake Hamilton School District Director of Child Nutrition Laura Jennings said new rates are, fortunately, expected to be less than the 21-22 school year.

“The meals will look like a normal school year with increased student menu choices, unless we have issues due to supply chain availability,” she said.

Looking ahead to the future and what can be done to make such programs better, she said student participation will be key, noting if it decreases, revenue also decreases, making improvements to a program difficult.

“Lake Hamilton plans to offer a variety of nutritious student-driven menu offerings to ensure increases in participation for the upcoming school year,” she said.