Bulloch County Schools to offer free lunch to most students

STATESBORO, Ga. (WSAV) – Bulloch County Schools is expanding its free and reduced lunch program to almost every school in the county.

The district will provide free meals to all students at 12 of 15 schools in the county. Brooklet Elementary School and both Southeast Bulloch Middle and High Schools were out of range to qualify.

Hayley Greene with Bulloch County Schools tells News 3 that the county ranks at 65 out of the 159 counties in Georgia when it comes to students not having access to food.

“That’s significant when you consider that children are in a crucial developmental time in their life,” Greene said. “To have access to good quality nutritious food is very important to their growth and for their learning.”

Greene says among all their schools, 69% of students enrolled qualify for free or reduced lunch.

While Brooklet schools are excluded, Greene says parents should still fill out paperwork to see if they qualify individually.

The Statesboro Food Bank director tells News 3 that food insecurity is widespread in the county.

“What we’ve seen over the last year is an extraordinary growth in people using the food bank,” said Sheila Stewart-Leach, “which means to me that there’s a huge need in the community.”

Since September, the nonprofit has given out 392,065 meals to families. Stewart-Leach expects that number to grow now that they’re in their new location.

Greene says the cost of living is hitting families hard, and them, too. She says that’s why the price of meals in schools has gone up.

Instead of paying $2.50 a meal, families who don’t qualify for free or reduced lunch will pay $3.85.

You can sign up for free or reduced lunch at Open House on July 29, or anytime online.