No more free lunch for some CMS students starting next year
A program that has provided free meals to K-12 students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will stop at the end of this school year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s universally free school meals arose out of pandemic-era waivers that allowed all K-12 students to get school breakfast and lunch at no cost regardless of their family’s income beginning in March 2020. Those waivers are set to expire June 30, despite school nutrition advocates urging Congress for an extension in the federal 2022 spending bill.
School meal programs will return to pre-pandemic procedures for the 2022-23 school year, which means free breakfast continues and lunch may not.
“I just want to remind everybody, it’s the U.S. Department of Agriculture that this falls under, this is not the CMS Board of Education trying to give everybody a tough time on free and reduced lunch,” Interim Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh said during the board’s meeting Tuesday. “We were hopeful that maybe the bill that was set forward would be approved, but it was not extended out.”
In CMS, breakfast will still be free for all students
Cassie Fambro, a media relations specialist with CMS, told the Observer that breakfast will continue to be provided in all of the district’s schools at no charge for the 2022-23 school year. For each of CMS’ summer camps and programs, free breakfast and lunch also will be provided.
CMS will not raise lunch meal prices for 2022-23, keeping them at pre-pandemic rates for students. For pre-K students, the lunch meal price is $2.50; K-8 students pay $2.75 and 9-12 students pay $3. The reduced price lunch meal is 40 cents.
Parents: Fill out the paperwork
Students attending some CMS schools will have to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch through direct certification, which could include families receiving food stamps, students who are homeless or foster children. Students can also receive free meals from an approved free or reduced-price meal benefit application.
Students not approved for free lunch will need to have cash or money on account to pay for lunch, Fambro said.
Applications will be available online or on paper beginning August 1.
“We’re not going to let any child walk away without a meal,” Hattabaugh said. “We need help from parents and the community to assist everybody.”
Board member Margaret Marshall said it’s concerning that the waiver is not going to be extended.
“We’re going to have a lot of families who if they don’t qualify and fill out paperwork are going to have some problems with food this year,” Marshall said. “Make sure families fill out the paperwork so we can have the funds to feed those students and they won’t rack up meal debt which has to come due at some point. This is really important.”
68 CMS schools not affected
CMS has 68 schools that fall into the Community Eligibility Provision, an option for schools and districts in low-income areas. The program allows schools to serve meals at no charge to all enrolled students, and families do not have to fill out an application.
Hattabaugh said these schools will not be affected by the change in meal service.
“They will still have what they had during the pandemic,” he said.
The following CMS schools are in the Community Eligibility Provision:
▪ Albemarle Road Elementary
▪ Albemarle Road Middle
▪ Allenbrook Elementary
▪ Ashley Park (K-8)
▪ Charles Parker Academic Center
▪ Berryhill School
▪ Briarwood Elementary
▪ Bruns Avenue Elementary
▪ Walter G. Byers School
▪ Charlotte East Language Academy
▪ Cochrane Collegiate Academy
▪ Coulwood STEM Academy
▪ David Cox Road Elementary
▪ Devonshire Elementary
▪ Druid Hills Academy
▪ Eastway Middle
▪ First Ward Creative Arts Academy
▪ Garinger High
▪ Greenway Park Elementary
▪ Joseph W. Grier Academy
▪ J.H. Gunn Elementary
▪ Harding University High
▪ Hickory Grove Elementary
▪ Hidden Valley Elementary
▪ Highland Renaissance Academy
▪ Hornets Nest Elementary
▪ Idlewild Elementary
▪ Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle
▪ Lawrence Orr Elementary
▪ Lebanon Road Elementary
▪ Charlotte Mecklenburg Academy
▪ Marie G. Davis (K-8)
▪ James Martin Middle
▪ McClintock Middle
▪ Merry Oaks International Academy
▪ Montclaire Elementary
▪ Nations Ford Elementary
▪ Newell Elementary
▪ Oakdale Elementary
▪ Oakhurst STEAM Elementary
▪ Paw Creek Elementary
▪ Pinewood Elementary
▪ Piney Grove Elementary
▪ Rama Road Elementary
▪ Ranson Middle
▪ Reid Park Academy
▪ Renaissance West STEAM Academy
▪ Sedgefield Middle
▪ Shamrock Gardens Elementary
▪ Statesville Road Elementary
▪ Sterling Elementary
▪ Stoney Creek Elementary
▪ Thomasboro Academy
▪ Tuckaseegee Elementary
▪ Turning Point Academy
▪ University Meadows Elementary
▪ University Park Creative Arts Elementary
▪ Julius L. Chambers High
▪ Villa Heights Elementary
▪ West Charlotte High
▪ West Mecklenburg High
▪ Westerly Hills Academy
▪ Whitewater Academy
▪ Whitewater Middle
▪ Wilson STEM Academy
▪ Winding Springs Elementary
▪ Windsor Park Elementary
▪ Winterfield Elementary
This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
