West Plains, MO. – When the Coronavirus pandemic hit, the federal government funded The Families First Coronavirus Response Act that allowed all students to receive free meals, even those who were not previously eligible. However, recently the federal government declined to continue funding this program. While free meals for all students have been a welcome relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, these benefits will end at the end of the school year. This means all families in the West Plains School District will need to carry a positive balance in their children’s school meal accounts to ensure that their students have the nutrition they need throughout the day to learn.
Districts will return to policies that were in place for free/reduced lunch and breakfast prices before the pandemic. Eligibility for free/reduced-price meals will be determined, once again, by income verification or by direct certification lists provided to the school district. Income guidelines, application packets, etc., will be made available before the start of school in August 2022.
