Thousands of additional students in Lexington public schools are now eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch.
The free meal program expansion comes without a financial impact to the local school district.
When the new school year begins Wednesday in Fayette County, all students at 27 qualified schools can eat free. Child Nutrition Director Michelle Coker says only one school offered this program last year. "It was a surprise we had that many sites. That was a good surprise," said Coker.
Federal dollars support the extension of the free meal program, so Coker says it means there will be no additional cost to Fayette schools. Changes to the national school lunch and breakfast program now give local school officials the option of providing free meals to every student in schools where at least 40 percent of the children qualify for federal assistance. She says the expansion carries with it health and academic benefits. "That way they have nourishment in their bodies and they're able to grow and think and they're not coming in sick in the morning, have a headache, or their tummy hurts, or anything like that because they haven't eaten," added Coker.
More than 14 thousand students in 27 schools are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch. Coker says the savings to families over the school year could collectively, reach two million dollars.?