Starting next school year, Idaho parents will need to once again apply for their children to receive free or reduced cost lunches.
During the pandemic, the federal government waived the application requirement for the program. Now, the state department of education says that rule is back for the 2022-2023 school year.
Prior to the pandemic, in the 2019-2020 term, nearly 43% of Idaho public school students received free or reduced cost meals, according to Kids Count.
There are income eligibility requirements. For example, a family of four making less than $51,000 would qualify.
You can check the income qualifications here.
If a family is already receiving food or cash assistance through SNAP or TAFI, their children will automatically be enrolled.
Parents who need to apply for the program must do so through their individual school districts — a list of which can be found here.
There’s no deadline to do so. Once approved, children will be eligible for free or reduced cost meals for the rest of the school year.
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