DC SCHOOL DISTRICT ENCOURAGES FAMILIES TO APPLY FOR SUMMER MEAL ASSISTANCE

licious, homemade meals. By 1941, all 50 states had an operational school lunch program.

However, with the start of WWII the programs began to dwindle and in 1946, then President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Act to “as a measure of national security to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation’s children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food, by assisting the States, through grant-inaid and other means, in providing an adequate supply of food and other facilities for the establishment, maintenance, operation, and expansion of nonprofit school lunch programs.” The program has undergone several changes since its inception, the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, which added more subsidies for low-income students as well as school milk and breakfast programs. Childcare programs may also be eligible to participate in the program.

While the NSLP has evolved since its inception, its primary intention is still to provide nutritionally balanced low or no-cost meals to children. Students who are already enrolled in the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or are homeless, in foster care, a migrant to the US or a “runaway” are automatically eligible for the free lunch program, as are children in Head Start or state-funded Pre-K programs.

For children who do not automatically qualify, their family can fill out an application, either on paper at the local school district or online to apply for free or reduced price lunches. Families whose income is at or below 130% of poverty level qualify for free lunch, and those whose incomes are at or below 130-185% of poverty level qualify for reduced price lunches, which means that a school cannot charge more than $.40 per child per meal. Income guidelines are adjusted by the federal guidelines each year, and participating schools are then reimbursed for each free/reduced meal with cash and/or USDA foods.

In addition to the NSLP, children ages 0-5 who were already enrolled in the SNAP program between September 2022 and May 11th, 2023, and school-aged students who qualified for the free or reduced lunches by May 31st, 2023 are eligible for the 2023 Summer P-EBT program. Originally put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic to off-set the loss of meals due to school closures, the program provides eligible pre-school children with $19-$171, depending on current SNAP benefits, and school-aged students with a one-time $120 payment, issued on a P-EBT card for the purpose of purchasing SNAP eligible food and grocery items. While children 0-5 already enrolled in the SNAP program do not need to apply for benefits, all other students must complete the additional application no later than August 21st, 2023. Tammy Stenson, Administrative Assistant at DC Schools, says that North Dakota is also extending the offer to families who may qualify for the Summer P-EBT program, but did not get qualified during the 2022-2023 school year.

While there is much debate about who should be funding school lunches and what the eligibility requirements should be, the current NSLP programs offer many students the opportunity for a hearty, nutritional meal – and for a number of students, the type of meal they may not have access to at home. Research has shown that healthy, nutritional meals are essential to child development and their ability to learn, and the NSLP continues to help close that gap for students in need.

Stenson says that in Divide County, approximately 25% of students were eligible for free or reduced meals this past year.

“In prior years an average of

34% have been eligible. We suspect that several families would have qualified if they had just taken the time to fill out the [Free and Reduced Meal] application. Applications can be revised at any time during the year, if someone should have a change in employment and/ or wage reduction.”

Tammy also notes that the school has a large end-of-the-year negative lunch balance, which currently sits at $2, 917.40. “Some of that balance could have absolutely been covered by simply filling out the application and qualifying,” she notes. “An account for donations has [also] been set up for those who need assistance. Families must apply to be eligible to receive these funds and a free or reduced application must be filled out as well.”

Stenson also notes that the school reaches out to families who may qualify for free or reduced meals, via phone and mail, but some families just do not complete the application – often resulting in unpaid meals at the end of the year. In addition, the percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced meals directly affects the funding they get for a number of school programs.

Parents/Guardians are encouraged to complete the applications for the Summer P-EBT program as soon as possible to ensure their application is processed before the summer ends. They are also encouraged to apply for the free/ reduced meal program for the 2022-2023 school year as early as possible, but NO LATER than August 25th, 2023.

For those interested in applying, the Summer P-EBT program application can be found at https://ndsummerebt.nd.gov. For the free/reduced price school lunch application or if you have questions about eligibility, please contact your local school district. For those with children attending Divide County schools, you can reach out to Tammy Stenson via email tammy.stenson@k12.nd.us or phone 701-965-6313.

Additional Sources: USDA Food and Nutrition Services: https:// www.fns.usda.gov/nslp ; TIME Magazine, An Abbreviated History of School Lunch in America: https://time.com/4496771/ school-lunch-history /; North Dakota Department of Human Services: https:// www.hhs.nd.gov/; Divide County School District Facebook Page.