District 742 Gets Update on Free School Meals Program

(KNSI) – All Minnesota students will get a free breakfast and lunch every school day thanks to the universal meals bill passed earlier this year.

St. Cloud Area School District 742 Supervisor of Nutritional Services Sarah Motl says every student is automatically covered, so parents don’t have to do anything or fill out paperwork, but if they do, they could be eligible for other assistance.

“We do highly encourage [parents] to still fill out the alternate application for benefits. There are a lot of other benefits tied to [it] that will directly benefit your child’s school. So, although you don’t need it for your free lunch and breakfast, it is really important for the school.”

She says the district will be sending home the forms with students. Motl says only qualified meals will be covered. She explains, “At breakfast, they have to have three different items and one of them must be half a cup of fruit or vegetable. And at lunch, they need to have three different meal components. And again, one of those has to be either half a cup of fruit or a vegetable. And that’s what makes it a reimbursable meal.”

She says they always encourage students to take all the items offered to get the most benefit from their meals.

For anything not covered, students will need to pay cash. That includes extra milk, a drink with cold lunch, a second meal, or items from the ala carte line.

Motl says the district’s lunch numbers should be consistent with past years, but she’s expecting a jump in breakfasts. The St. Cloud School District qualifies for free meals statewide because they exceed the 62.5% free and reduced lunch threshold. In the 2022-23 school year, 76% of District 742 kids qualified for food assistance.

As part of the deal, St. Cloud will forgive nearly $100,000 in current student lunch debt and $50,000 in past student lunch debt. The Angel Fund will help cover about $52,000. The school will pay the rest.

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