Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Meals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board presses outreach to boost free/reduced-meal applications; district about 50 households from universal free lunch
Summary
Board members discussed the district's contract with Nutriserve and outreach to raise the free/reduced-meal application rate from 46% to the 50% threshold needed for universal free meals; staff said the application is available electronically and about 50 more eligible families are likely needed.
At a public meeting, board members discussed outreach strategies to increase free-and-reduced-meal applications after staff said the district's eligibility rate stood at about 46 percent, short of the 50 percent threshold that would make all students eligible for free lunch.
The chair raised the Nutriserve contract and asked what the board could do to help increase participation. A staff member explained the application is two pages (front and back) and is available electronically; some households automatically qualify through county certification programs such as TANF or SNAP. "If we reach a threshold of 50%, every student in the school will receive free lunch," the chair said. Staff estimated the district needs roughly 50 more families to reach that threshold.
Board members suggested targeted outreach: mailings, calls, electronic distribution and partnerships with parent groups. A public commenter volunteered to help with a pre-reduced lunch campaign and a CPAC representative said a special-education parent Zoom meeting will be held in August to discuss new policies and procedures.
Staff did not present a formal outreach plan or timeline during the meeting; board members asked the administration to circulate options and to report back. The meeting record indicates staff and volunteers will follow up on outreach efforts before the start of the school year.
Next steps: staff to coordinate outreach materials and make the electronic application readily available; volunteers and parent groups will be invited to support awareness efforts prior to the next meeting.
