SHENANDOAH - When Shenandoah Valley reopens for the 2014-15 school year, students won't have to bring breakfast and lunch money because those meals will be free.
During its meeting Wednesday, the Shenandoah Valley school board approved the Community Eligibility Provision, which is designed to allow schools in high-poverty level areas to provide free breakfasts and lunches to all students. Pennsylvania is opting into the national initiative in the next school year.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "The Community Eligibility Provision is a powerful new tool to ensure that low-income children in high-poverty neighborhoods have access to healthy meals at school. Established in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, community eligibility will allow more than 28,000 schools in high-poverty neighborhoods to offer nutritious meals through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to all students at no charge."
The school board approved the provision in a 6-0 vote.
District Superintendent Stanley G. Rakowsky said there will be plenty of paperwork involved in meeting the guidelines.
"Essentially, everybody in the school will be eligible for a free lunch and breakfast," Rakowsky said. "On the surface, it seems like it's too good to be true, and some might say that it is, but it's good for our community and good for our kids, and that's why the board approved it. It's going to be a lot of work because we're going to need alternate ways of getting information for Title I and things like that, which we normally got out of the eligibility list (for free or reduced cost meals)."
According to district Business Manager Anthony P. Demalis Jr., the school district will be reimbursed for the extra costs.
"It's a federally funded program and everybody will get a free lunch," Demalis said before the meeting. "They're increasing our reimbursement to cover it. It's a new program being offered so that more students will eat nutritious lunches. The only thing you get with the lunch is milk, so if you want water or juice, you'll have to pay for that. There will still be some people paying money."
The federal reimbursement will be $10,209.77.
The school board also raised the cost of lunches by 5 cents to $1.75 per lunch.
"The first lunch is free, but if you want a second lunch, you'll have to pay for it," Demalis said. "Probably the lowest in the county."