This year, Boston ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø Schools students will be returning to free lunches when they return to school. The large district recently joined a national program that serves free meals to all students, regardless of income level. This program eliminates the need for families to complete paperwork involving sensitive information like income amounts and ensures every student has access to a hot, nutritious lunch as part of their daily learning experience.
No Paperwork Required
The reports that the district has signed on to a federal initiative designed to simplify the process of offering free or reduced-price lunches to low-income students in a district. In some cases, the process of qualifying for affordable meals in school meant filling out complex paperwork that families might not always understand. For example, families in Boston ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø Schools speak as many as 100 different languages, which meant that even forms completed in English might be difficult for some parents to comprehend completely.
This video explains how the Community Eligibility Option works in detail.
In addition, the process of receiving free lunches can create a socio-economic divide in some schools, as some students get free food and others had to pay for it. While many students used identification cards which made the process more discreet, some students still pay for their meals with cash. By allowing every student access to a free meal, needy students are no longer singled out in the lunch line.
Capitalizing on the success of the Breakfast Program
According to , the lunch program follows the successful launch of the free breakfast program last year. The news station reports that the universal breakfast program waived charges for the morning meal and saved participating families around $230 per student. In addition, schools knew that students would receive the nutrition in the morning they needed to continue the learning process throughout the school day.
This year, the district will expand the program to include the lunch meal. The website for explains that around 78 percent of the students in Boston schools currently qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. The reduced price for preparing students is 40 cents, rather than the $2.25 charge for elementary students and $2.50 for high school students. School officials also stated that more students could have qualified for the program if more parents had submitted the qualifying paperwork.
This video describes the free lunch program in Boston schools.
"Children can focus on learning when they are well-fed, and families can focus on education when they don't have to focus have to budget for school meals every week," John McDonough, interim superintendent for Boston ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø Schools, stated in the press release on the district's website. "This program makes sense for students. We expect every major city to join this national program in the next few years – and we can put Boston's families at the forefront."
Savings for Families