End of the line: Federal waiver that allowed for free school breakfast, lunch set to expire
Altoona Area High School sophomore Mia Carper, 16, adds fries to her lunch selection on Tuesday. The federal nutrition waiver program that allowed schools to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students, regardless of a family’s income, is set to expire June 30. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Altoona Area High School senior Triniti Stehley, 18, selects an orange to add to her lunch on Tuesday. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Altoona Area High School students eat in a lunchroom Tuesday. The federal nutrition waiver program that allowed schools to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students, regardless of a family’s income, is set to expire June 30. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Altoona Area High School sophomore Mia Carper, 16, adds fries to her lunch selection on Tuesday. The federal nutrition waiver program that allowed schools to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students, regardless of a family’s income, is set to expire June 30. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Altoona Area High School senior Triniti Stehley, 18, selects an orange to add to her lunch on Tuesday. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Altoona Area High School students eat in a lunchroom Tuesday. The federal nutrition waiver program that allowed schools to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students, regardless of a family’s income, is set to expire June 30. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
Trending
School districts have faced many challenges when it comes to providing meals to students during the pandemic -- from supply chain issues and increased costs to social distancing and COVID-19 cleaning protocols.
But one action taken by Congress made the job just a little bit easier.
The federal nutrition waiver program allowed schools to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students, regardless of a family's income, school leaders said.
Now that the waivers are set to expire June 30, school districts are making plans to move forward, while also holding out hope that the program will be extended.
Betsy Snyder, food service director for the Hollidaysburg Area School District, said the free meals were appreciated not only by the students and their families, but also by the food service department, because cafeteria workers could focus on feeding the students instead of spending their time policing student payment accounts.
School officials reported that the waivers are important as communities recover from the pandemic. The waivers also increased meal participation and that, in turn, helped students focus on their studies, officials said.
"This program has been a great benefit for both students and the districts," said Kalie Zabrosky, Williamsburg Community School District's business manager. "Providing all students with free meals has allowed them to eat without any additional financial burden on their families."