News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Breakfast and lunch will continue to be free for all Pickett County students after a successful first semester of the program.
School Nutrition Supervisor Rebecca Wallin said the price of food at grocery stores and restaurants has created a strain on many Pickett County families. She said the program proved extremely beneficial to the students who were not eligible before January, so the district hopes to continue it for as long as possible.
“It worked out very well for all parties,” Wallin said. “Parents and students were extremely appreciative of the free meals. Considering the times, free meals at school have been a big help to most families in our community.”
In January, the state made Medicaid-eligible students certified to receive free meals, almost doubling the number of eligible students district-wide. Wallin said that federal reimbursement allowed the system to pick up the tab on any remaining students.
Wallin said the program runs on a four-year cycle and the district will reassess after the third year. She said she hopes to be able to renew the program for another four years when the cycle ends.
“Groceries are outrageous at the moment and inflation continues to affect those prices,” Wallin said. “So, as long as we can provide free meals, then we will.”
She said a portion of the meals will be reimbursed by the USDA at $4 per meal, with the rest paid back at 42 cents per meal. She said the financial impact on the system was monitored closely throughout the first semester of the program.
“Anything they purchase that is extra, over and above the school meal, will be charged as an extra item with a la carte pricing involved,” Wallin said.
Wallin said the Community Eligibility Provisions program already provided free lunches for students meeting guidelines for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but the district did not have enough students that met the requirements for those programs to fund free meals for the remaining student body. She said the state allowing free meals for Medicaid-free students changed that.
