Devin Seidel

“All the kids eat the same thing, whether it’s pizza or whatever,” Lloyd Diedrichsen cafeteria worker Elaine Boyd says.

“If we notice a pattern where a kid doesn’t have a lunch,” Boyd adds, “we’ll check with the parents to see if they qualify.”

Washoe County School District, in accordance with Nutrition Services, offers a program where children can eat free and reduced priced meals.

Washoe County School District works closely with Nutrition Services to implement the National School Lunch Program.

This program is known as the National School Lunch Program and was established in 1946 when President Harry Truman signed the National School Lunch Act.

After filling out an Application For Meal Benefits from Washoe County School District, qualifying students in elementary schools receive breakfast for $1.75 and lunch for $2.50.

The cost for those meals in middle and high school is $2.75 for qualifying students.

For the current school year students who qualify for reduced meal prices also eat without charge.

Last year, 2008-2009, the average number of students using the National School Lunch Program in Washoe County was 38.1% according to nevadareportcard.com.

This includes all levels of schools in Washoe County: elementary, middle, and high school.

“The number of applications has definitely gone up this year,” Kathy Royal of nutrition services says.

For a family of four to qualify they must make $40, 793 or less annually, or $785 or less on a weekly basis.

Qualifying rates change depending on household size and annual income.

Students do not need to be United States Citizens to receive benefits from the National School Lunch Program.

In Washoe County, elementary schools have a wide range of students benefiting from the National School Lunch Program.

Some schools such as Libby C Booth, Rita Cannan, and Roger Corbett Elementary have 100% of the school’s population using the National School Lunch Program.

Other schools such as Ted Hunsberger, Van Gorder and Verdi have substantially lower rates.

“We do have a high population of free kids,” Rene Johnson of Nutrition Services says.

The number of children using the National School Lunch Program shows Washoe County School District’s willingness to cooperate with local families, regardless of school, to promote healthy learning and well-being amongst students.

In a harsh economic environment where budget cuts are as common as paper cuts, programs like the National School Lunch Program aid families in need of a little help.

With less money going around and more students needing to eat, sometimes a helping hand is the one serving breakfast or lunch, at no cost, to children who otherwise would be forced to learn on an empty stomach.

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