Waukesha School Board To Meet About Lunch Programs

WAUKESHA, WI — The Waukesha Board of Education will host a special meeting to discuss the district’s possible actions on federal lunch programs at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the district office, 222 Maple Ave.

Parents and community members have vocally opposed the school board's June 9 decision to opt out of an extension of the Seamless Summer Option, a federal program that would give all students free lunch to all students without income requirements for free or reduced lunches. Waukesha was the only district in the state to opt out of the federal program.

Instead, the board in June chose to take part in the federal National School Lunch Program for the upcoming 2021-'22 school year; it is a federally assisted meal program that requires parents to complete a form and provide income information, according to a news release.

An email was sent to staff on Tuesday explaining the decision.

During the 2020-'21 school year, the district participated in the Summer Food Service Program. When the district decided to take part in that program in 2020, families were no longer required to complete forms to receive free or reduced-price meals.

The low levels of applications and participation may interrupt not only a student's ability to access meals but might also lead to the defunding of instructional programs that assist students, the district said. The total number of applications for free or reduced lunches in the 2019-'20 school year was 606. In 2020-'21, it decreased to 297, according to the district.

In addition, the district said demand for the free meals fell.

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