School Meals No Longer Free For Every Nashua Child

NASHUA, NH —The Nashua School District is reminding parents that for the first time in two years, school meals will not be free for every child this year.

Instead, families will need to complete an application to determine if they are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

In March 2020, during the early days of the pandemic, Congress authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue child nutrition waivers, which made school breakfasts and lunches free to students regardless of their family's income.

But Congress did not extend those waivers when they expired earlier this summer. Nashua schools, like most schools around the country, will return to regular-priced lunches.

For those interested in meal discounts, the Meal Benefits online application system for the 2022-23 school year went live online on August 8, the district said.

Nashua families who will be paying for lunches can start making those payments on Aug. 25 at the MySchoolBucks website.

The district said updates and current information about meal prices are available on the Nashua School District website.