Utah families who currently pay reduced prices for school meals will soon get them for free after Gov. Spencer Cox approved a bill Tuesday that eliminates reduced-cost lunches.
An additional 40,000 students in kindergarten through sixth grade who currently pay reduced-price meals will now receive school meals for free after July 1 under HB100.
The measure also prevents schools from “stigmatizing students who cannot afford meals,” which means eliminating practices that could draw unwanted attention, such as using different colored lunch trays for those who get free food.
Right now, to receive free school meals, a family’s income must be at or below 130% of the federal poverty level — about $40,560 annually for a family of four.
Students currently qualify for reduced-cost lunches if their family’s income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty level — about $57,720 for a family of four. Next academic year, these students will qualify for free meals.
On average, a reduced-price school meal in Utah costs 40 cents, yet schools have amassed about $2.8 million in lunch debt, as many families still struggle to afford it.
Read the full report at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.