Parents with students in Nash County Public Schools should be pleased to hear that all students attending public schools in the district will be eligible for breakfasts and lunches every day they attend school free of charge all year.
Heather Finch, the school district’s communication director, said because of the number of students in the school district receiving food stamps, federal Medicaid or other forms of federal assistance programs, that all schools in the district have met the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision threshold.
For parents who were paying out $15 per child each week to eat breakfast and lunch last year, those funds can be saved or spent another way in the upcoming school year.
“In addition, students and adults will be able to purchase snacks and à la carte items,” Finch said.
Officials with the school system stressed the importance nutrition has in the learning process.
“We are glad to be able to provide meals at no cost to all our students through the CEP program,” said Angie Miller, executive director of Child Nutrition. “Ensuring that every child has access to nutritious meals is a fundamental part of our commitment to their overall well-being and academic success.”
Dr. LaShawnda Washington, chair of the Board of Education in Nash County, said the no-cost meal program was great news.
“Food scarcity is real, and this initiative not only helps alleviate hunger but also improves students’ ability to focus and learn,” Washington said.
Kathy Hawk is a parent of three girls who attended Rocky Mount Middle School last year. She is also ran a competitive campaign before losing to Zack Gray in a run-off election for the current District 8 seat. Hawk said she did a great deal of door-to-door campaigning and saw the devastating poverty many children in her district live in.
Hawk said Rocky Mount Middle School and a number of schools in Nash County were already qualified for the free meals program and students there received their meals at no cost last year. She was pleased the program was extended to the entire school district.
"With everything going on and the price of groceries going up, it's great. It's great for those kids to have at least two meals a day," she said.
Hawk said the school district needs to work on cutting down on waste, noting much of the food served is thrown out by the students. The food needs to more palatable and nutritious, she said.
While not every lunch is bad, according to her daughters."A lot of the meals are nasty and they won't eat them. Maybe my girls are more particular because I'm such a good cook," she said.
Schools can be qualified for up to five years under the Community Eligibility Provision program. A notice on the school district’s website states: “As a CEP district, all students will have breakfast and lunch available at no cost.”
No paperwork is needed.
Most Popular
Comments / 0