By Daniel Nash

The Courier-Herald

The deadline to apply for school free and reduced lunches is fast approaching for qualified families. Applications are due Oct. 16.

Sumner School District is encouraging parents and guardians to get their applications in as soon as possible before the deadline.

“Families have to fill out a new application every year, so we’re sending reminders out to families so that they can receive the benefits for this school year ,” Communications Director Ann Cook said.

The school district partners with the USDA’s National School Lunch Program to provide free and reduced lunches. Students enter their account numbers at the register to pay for meals and the school is reimbursed the cost of meals for students who participate in the program.

“After filling out their application, students don’t have to do anything differently from the other students to receive their lunch,” Fiscal Technician Kim Singleton said.

Any family may apply to the program, and the USDA applies a formula taking into account factors such as household size and income to determine whether a family is qualified.

The application is available on the Sumner School District’s Web site.

The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced low-cost or free lunches to children each school day.

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