Free school meal program expires | GISD releases info, applications for free and reduced lunch program

For the last two years, students have been able to eat for free at their school regardless of their family’s income, due to government-approved waivers that were established during the onslaught of COVID-19 in March 2020.

However, as of June 30, those waivers have expired as Congress decided not to extend the program, meaning that students will have to find other means to obtain food at school during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Parents can still apply for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program, which, before the pandemic, provided low-cost or free lunches to 29.6 million children, according to newsweek.com.

The program provides free meals for students from households whose income is at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty line, according to newsweek.com. Students from households with an income between 130 and 185 percent of the Federal poverty line can receive a reduced-price lunch.

Granbury ISD recently released information regarding the National School Lunch Program and outlined the criteria that needs to be met before the student can be accepted into the program.

Along with income, students may qualify for the program if:

⦁ They receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food Distribution Program for Households on Indian Reservations or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

⦁ They are a foster child under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court

⦁ They participate in the head start or early head start program

⦁ They are classified as homeless, runaway or a migrant

⦁ They reside in a household participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children

Amy Whiteley, director of child nutrition at GISD, said before the waivers were implemented, 54% of GISD students were participating in the free and reduced lunch program in May 2019.

“We also had about 30% more meals served last year than the previous school year because everyone was able to get free meals,” she said.

The regular price for breakfast at GISD averages between $1.35-$1.85, while lunch costs between $2.55-$2.85. On the reduced-price meal program, breakfast is $.30 and lunch is $.40.

“We're just trying to push as many households to complete the application as possible,” Whiteley said. “We've got about 3,200 students that are already qualified on the program, based on other programs that they are on, like Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, so that's a good chunk, about half of our student population, so we're just trying to get the other half to complete those applications before school starts. That way, when they come on campus their first day, they're already set, and they're ready to go for breakfast and lunch.”

Applications can be picked up from the Granbury ISD Administration Building at 217 N. Jones St., or at any other GISD campus. They can also be downloaded from the Granbury ISD website under the “Departments,” “Child Nutrition” and “Free and Reduced Breakfast and Lunch” tabs. Applications can be dropped off at the GISD Administration Building.

Parents of pre-K students enrolled at Emma Roberson Early Learning Academy need to fill out a separate application as they operate under a different program called the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Applications can be filled out anytime during the school year and are only good for one academic year.

“It's a bummer that we weren't able to get the funding from Congress, but it is what it is and we just do what we can to try and get as many households on the program so their kiddos can eat — and that's what we're all about,” Whiteley added. “We want to make sure that these kiddos get their bellies full so that they can have a good day.”

For more information about GISD’s National School Lunch Program or to fill out an application, visit granburyisd.org.