Free meal program ends at MSBSD schools

As the COVID pandemic restrictions and subsequent lockdowns have eased, many federal assistance programs are also coming to an end. One of the most impactful may be the free school meal programs.

During the pandemic, Congress passed a program granting waivers that would allow students to eat school meals for free, no matter the family income. Millions of students have been fed for two years thanks to these waivers, offering families hit by the pandemic some relief as their children were going to be fed. Now that program is ending as Congress did not renew the program.

That means that roughly half the schools across Alaska that participate in the program will lose access when students return this fall. Families that took advantage of the free meals program will need to apply for free or reduced price meals based on income level, or pay for them.

Families could be negatively impacted by this, especially as inflation rises, fuel prices fluctuate, and leaving many families struggling to make ends meet. Over the 2019 federal fiscal year, the last year with data not impacted by the pandemic, 74.2 percent of all meals served through the program were free- or reduced-priced, according to the USDA.

In response, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District is keeping the costs of meals at the same rates as before the pandemic.

For elementary schools, breakfast costs about $2.25 and lunch $3.75. At the middle and high schools, breakfast costs $2.75 and lunch $4.75 – the same as pre-pandemic rates.

“Essentially, we are reverting back to the procedures that were in place prior to COVID. The District was able to offer free meals to all students the last two years due to a series of waivers that were granted at the Federal Level. We appreciated that opportunity and the increased participation in school meal service that occurred during this time, unfortunately the waivers allowing for free meals for all students are no longer available for the 2022 – 2023 school year,” says Katherine Gardner, Mat-Su school district associate superintendent who oversees its food service operations.

Reverting back to pre-pandemic policies means that families will once again have to apply for free and reduced cost meals with their child’s schools, a process that must be done every school year.

Parents may file an application for free and reduced meals by logging onto the MSBSD website. Gardner also recommends that parents create an account in the “SchoolCafe.”

“We encourage all families when they complete their school registration to create a ‘SchoolCafe’ account, if they don’t already have one, and complete the free and reduced meal application,” says Gardner.

She says that students who qualify for free and reduced meals will continue to have access to free meals, and that the applications are also used to help schools gain access to other supports and funding beyond meal service.

There are additional details on the District’s website under Nutrition Services at matsuk12.us If parents need support in completing an application or have questions about allergies, meal prices or anything else food service related, they may contact the Food Services Operations office at (907) 861-5100.