School districts are bracing for an increase in hungry students as the sun sets on a waiver that has provided free meals for the last two years.
In March 2020, the federal government granted a series of waivers that made meals free, allowed schools to deliver them in creative ways during extended closures due to COVID-19 cases, and meant parents could be reimbursed when schools couldn’t deliver those meals.
The extension granted an additional 10 million children access to food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA reports that more than 30 million children have benefited from expanded access to food at their schools. At least 10 of the 29 public schools in Boone County are Title I schools, meaning a majority of local students have been receiving free meals for the first time.
Now, those programs are at risk.
The waivers are due to expire June 30 amid rising food costs, a critical baby formula shortage, and record fuel prices.
The Board of Education for Walton-Verona Independent School District recently heard from Finance Director Kevin Ryan, who said the change in who pays for meals is a blind spot in next year’s budget.
“The only thing that concerns me as far as the budget for next year is food service,” Ryan said. “The free lunch for all program has effectively ended unless there is a change by the federal legislators. Nobody thinks that’s going to happen. So, our revenues are going to be down. Our expenses are also going to be down. We just don’t know what that’s going to look like.”
He said gauging the public reaction is difficult. He speculated that participation might be higher than expected in the paid program because more students have been eating the school-provided food. He also said it’s possible that moving back to paid lunches will generate a “knee-jerk reaction” among parents who don’t want to – or can’t – pay for the meals.
A 2021 report from the Education Data Initiative shows more than 75% of surveyed schools in the U.S. have student meal debt. In Kentucky, the average lunch debt per student is $168.43, and the report shows more than 37,330 students in Kentucky are food insecure and ineligible for benefits that may help them.
Each year, the USDA Division of Food and Nutrition Services establishes income eligibility guidelines. For the 2022-2023 school year, a family of four must earn less than $51,338 annually for meals at a discounted price, and less than $36,075 for free meals.
Usually, families have a 30-day grace period after the beginning of the year to renew their free and reduced lunch application, but the caveat is that the district hasn’t been receiving applications for the last two years, Ryan said. That means everyone wishing to receive the benefit has to apply before the start of the school year.
Over the summer, school districts will be communicating with parents what qualifies them for free or reduced lunch and how to apply.
