ROCK HILL, S.C. — All students in Rock Hill will soon be eligible for free meals after the board of education voted to expand a program that provides free breakfast and lunch at all of the district's schools.
The decision comes months after Congress halted funding that provided free meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. That decision had a big impact on students in Rock Hill, with some families being left behind because they don't understand the application process for free and reduced meals and others who didn't qualify.
Board members said it was their priority to remove these barriers for families in the district. Starting with the 2023-24 school year, every school in the Rock Hill district will provide free breakfast and lunch to all students.
The pilot program allows qualifying schools to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting free and reduced meal applications. The district said it's hopeful this will increase access to school meals for students living in poverty.
"We all know that hungry kids cannot learn," one board member said. "I think that this is going to be a game-changer for our district as a whole."
Rock Hill Schools administrators say they'll continue to monitor the program, evaluate its financial growth and provide frequent updates to the board.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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