Submitted by Paula
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched the the Universal School Meals Program which provides free breakfast and lunch to all students in the state, not just for those in the low income bracket.
This is the nation’s first free school lunch program.
The program provides $54 million to give 6.2 million public school students in the state a free school lunch for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, along with $650 million in state meal reimbursements for 2022-2023 to cover the costs of offering breakfast and lunch for all students.
“Focusing on student mental health and wellness and critical supports like universal school meals and community schools that provide wraparound programs for families will be essential for facilitating a safe return to in-person learning for the students who have suffered so much during the pandemic,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said in a statement.
In the Lake Tahoe Unified School District, 55-70 percent of students have qualified for free or reduced lunches over that past several years, …
READ MORE from: https://southtahoenow.com/story/08/14/2021/all-south-lake-tahoe-students-receive-free-breakfast-and-lunch-year.