Free and Reduced Meals Program

The Free and Reduced Price School Meals Program provides students with free or reduced price school breakfast and lunch throughout the school year. Families must complete the application and meet the qualifications. This program may also qualify families for additional supports.

Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through the National School Lunch Program. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced-price meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents.

Children from families with incomes over 185 percent of poverty pay a full price, though their meals are still subsidized to some extent. Local school food authorities set their own prices for full-price meals.