Free meals for all students ended this fall
October 20, 2022
The fifth hour during the school day, there is a time when people can get their energy back and relax. Lunchtime gives an opportunity to eat and get ready to finish the day strong. In recent years, COVID allowed students to get free food for the whole year. Many thought it was still the same this year, but the free food stopped because COVID funding ended, and the prices of food have increased.
This year, the price of meals the school has to offer has increased by 20 cents. Students or guardians pay $3.2 for lunch and $1.7 for breakfast because the program did not get the necessary funds to continue.
With the food now being $3, students have the choice to get their food from the cafeteria or bring it from home. Many students have chosen to bring food from home.
Even with COVID relief ending, there is still a program where students can get free food depending on their income level by just filling out a form. The families have to put their household information and with that, they have a chance to get free food.
Cafeteria staff member, Katie Evans said the families should, “Apply for the free and reduced, even if you do not think that you would get approved. It is great for us and it is great for the families.”
With this change, some families have been surprised and worried.
Evans said that the last thing a parent should worry about is if their kid is eating or going negative in their lunch money account.
The school is trying its best to make it easy for families to know about any changes that happen.
“We sent out emails, we put it on Twitter…on Facebook…. We sent it out everywhere,” Lindquist said.
Free food is something that can help everyone. In recent years there have been a lot of places that give free food, and the school was involved in the same programs. This year it went back to normal, but students can overcome it.
Coral Lariviere • Nov 29, 2022 at 8:14 am
I think the photos you used are effective because they show the people who needed/need the free meals. And that makes us wonder why the free meals are ending when they benefit so many. And the article is also very informative which helps explain some reasons why people need food help. My one critique is that a lot of the photos are dark and foggy, which makes it hard to really see the environment.
Margaret O'Brien • Nov 25, 2022 at 1:16 pm
The article is well written and very informative. It spoke to both students and parents that may be impacted by the change in funding. I like how it reminded families of the option to still get free lunches if needed.
Elizabeth Gardner • Nov 22, 2022 at 10:23 am
I like how informative the article is. It has good details like the listing of the prices to buy lunch and breakfast everyday. I also liked how it showed you can get free food with the fee wavers . It drew me in with the picture and title.
Kaylyn Richert • Nov 21, 2022 at 10:51 pm
This article immediately drew me, in as it is an issue that has affected many students. The author did a great job at stating the facts and being very informative, so you can really understand whats going on.
Bailey Holmes • Nov 21, 2022 at 7:39 pm
This article is very informative and has a great amount of detail that pulls you in. The emphasis on the fact that covid has contributed to this issue and how it has impacted students and families is awesome and brings a lot to the story as a whole. I like the clear and accurate statistics that back up everything as well.
Ellie Dahlstrom • Nov 21, 2022 at 7:04 pm
This article does a great job of expressing a logical and emotional appeal. Obviously the COVID pandemic has greatly affected families, and the article nicely expresses the reasons for why it may be negative and positive. The language is educated and shows an opinion but not too strongly which is sometimes hard to achieve. The author also uses solid statistics to back up opinions given.
Sara Norton • Nov 21, 2022 at 6:19 pm
This story has such a strong lead just within the first sentence! It pulled me in to read the rest of the story. The opinion on this story is solid and helps the reader understand this specific side of the story.
Caroline Peleske • Nov 21, 2022 at 8:59 am
This article is laid out very well and the quotes are formatted great. They express complete thoughts and do not provide unnecessary information. Overall this article is very good.
jackson bonneson • Nov 15, 2022 at 7:43 pm
I loved the wording you used, it added a very real tone to the story and helped add a sense of relatability.
Grace Cheney • Nov 12, 2022 at 3:05 pm
I think that the cafeteria food being free during the COVID pandemic helped lots of people and gave them one less thing to worry about in such a hard time, but I do not think that having to pay for food again is necessarily a bad thing. Even though food prices are higher now because of low stock and delayed delivery times, kids and families still have opportunities to get free meals if they need them which was touched on in a quote by Katie Evans.
William Cadenhead • Nov 3, 2022 at 8:06 am
Free food should have more variety, then it would be worth it to pay money. But I think COVID has negatively affected all students and parents, If you buy lunch and breakfast it is expensive.