News

Yes, there is such a thing: School Board approves free lunch for all

By Lightning Reports, Published: August 18, 2023

Breakfast and lunch are now available at no cost for all students in the 2023-2024 school year, thanks to a vote of the  Henderson County School Board Monday.

 The new program encompasses balanced and nutritious meals, ensuring that all students have access to wholesome food throughout their school day. HCPS is focused not only on academic growth but also on the physical and emotional well-being of students.

While the program covers breakfast and lunch, extra items are available for purchase. If a student wishes to purchase items such as ice cream, snacks or extra meals, these may be purchased with cash or through available funds on students’ accounts. If students already have funds on their account, they can use them for these items. Families can easily set up and/or manage online accounts at K12PaymentCenter.com. 

The best part is that parents or guardians don’t have to take any extra steps. No forms or additional information are required.

“We are excited about this initiative and the positive impact it will have on our students and their families," schools Superintendent Mark R. Garrett said.  "We know that full bellies improve mood and performance.  By removing the financial burden associated with daily meals, we seek to create an even better school environment where all students can thrive free from worry about their next meal. I am grateful for our board’s leadership and proud of the huge team effort that is making it possible. Please spread the word and encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity to eat breakfast and lunch every single day at no cost to them.”

The county’s School Board voted unanimously during its meeting on Monday to spend between $800,000 and $1.3 million to pay for the meals for all students in the county school system for one year. The money will come from both the school systems’ child nutrition and general fund balances.

Board Chairman Blair Craven argued in favor of spending the money to pay for the lunches of all students before making a motion to take money from the fund balances to pay for the meals.

“For me, for my tax dollar, I’d rather it not go anywhere else other than paying to feed some kids,” he said. Craven also noted that he received free and reduced school meals when he was a student.

Board member Stacy Caskey said she agreed with Craven and said the board should pay for student meals for one year whether it is possible to continue to do so in coming years.

“We’ll do it as long as we think we can do it,” she said. “We can’t make a decision not to feed kids. I want to be on the side of feeding kids.”

Craven credited board member Jay Egolf with pushing the board toward the idea of using money from the fund balance to pay for student meals.

The vote to make student meals free came after the board decided to join the federal Community Eligibility Provision program.

CEP is a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. It allows the nation’s highest poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. Instead, schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other specific means-tested programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture website.

Under the formula used by CEP, Henderson County is not eligible for a level of assistance from the program that would pay fully for all students to receive free meals. But the county will receive enough funding from the program to allow the school board to make up the difference this year from money in its fund balances.