There are a lot of unknowns as Southwest Florida parents get ready to send their children back to school. But one concern they won’t have this year is making sure their kids are well fed at school. The USDA announced last spring that it would continue to serve free meals to all schoolchildren for the 2021-2022 school year.
For the large school districts in southwest Florida, this extends programs they have ongoing. Dr. Ken Savage, the interim superintendent of Lee County Schools, says that at nearly all schools in the district, all students are eligible for free lunch and breakfast, every day. No registration or paperwork is involved, whether the family has been in the district for years or just moved in.
“It also addresses kids who may be undocumented, or things along those lines. So you’re really servicing all students. And it’s not unique to Lee County. There are many other larger metropolitan areas that when the level of need is so clearly substantiated, you qualify for it,” said Dr. Savage.
Collier County reported in a tweet that their schools too will offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, every day.
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