Free meals for all students ended this fall

Daniel Ortiz, Broadcast Editor

 

 

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.

That sounds actually kind of expensive…If you had to buy your breakfast and lunch everyday, it starts to add up.

— Jeniffer Weddel

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.