School Meals

More students will be eligible to school breakfast and lunch at no cost under a rule change announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At schools where 25% of families participate in income-based public benefits, the federal government now will cover the cost of free meals for all enrolled students.

Arizona schools chief Kathy Hoffman says the state’s Department of Education will allocate $6.75 million to school lunch programs, waiving fees for all children who qualify for reduced-price meals.

The extension of a pandemic-era federal program to provide free meals for K-12 students has expired. Now, many school districts in Northern Arizona have gone back to charging for meals or are using other funding sources to continue free food services.