The United States Department of Agriculture waiver that provided free breakfast and lunch for students during the pandemic has expired, meaning schools will once again be charging for meals.
The Jefferson City School District released its meal prices and requirements to qualify for free and reduced lunch.
Elementary breakfast costs $1.25, elementary lunch is $3, secondary breakfast is $1.50, and secondary lunch is $3.25.
Applications for free and reduced lunch are available at the school office and can be submitted anytime during the school year. The information on the form is confidential and is used only to determine eligibility. School officials can verify this information at any time during the school year.
Foster children can be eligible regardless of household income. Children can also be eligible under the Head Start, homeless, migrant, or runaway programs, and their household should contact the school for assistance in receiving benefits. Participants in Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants aand Children may also be eligible.
Households receiving food stamps, TANF or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations are eligible for free meals. The school should notify households if their children are eligible under these programs, if known. Otherwise, the household should contact the school.
Changes in employment or family size can change eligibility, so households should file a new application with any changes.
Free, reduced lunch criteria
The income maximums to be eligible for free and reduced lunch are:
| Household size | Maximum income eligible for free meals | Maximum income eligible for reduced price meals | ||||
| Annually | Monthly | Weekly | Annually | Monthly | Weekly | |
| 1 | $17,667 | $1,473 | $340 | $25,142 | $2,096 | $484 |
| 2 | $23,803 | $1,984 | $458 | $33,874 | $2,823 | $652 |
| 3 | $29,939 | $2,495 | $576 | $42,606 | $3,551 | $820 |
| 4 | $36,075 | $3,007 | $694 | $51,338 | $4,279 | $988 |
| 5 | $42,211 | $3,518 | $812 | $60,070 | $5,006 | $1,156 |
| 6 | $48,347 | $4,029 | $930 | $68,802 | $5,734 | $1,324 |
| 7 | $54,483 | $4,541 | $1,048 | $77,534 | $6,462 | $1,492 |
| 8 | $60,619 | $5,052 | $1,166 | $86,266 | $7,189 | $1,659 |
| Each add’l member | +$6,139 | +512 | +118 | +$8,732 | +$728 | +$168 |