How will the end of pandemic funding affect free meals at schools around Erie County?

This school year, there's no such thing as a free lunch, and free breakfast, for all K-12 students nationwide.

Federal pandemic relief aid that provided free student meals for all students for the past two school years ended in June.

But a number of local schools, including all Erie School District schools, will continue to offer free breakfast and lunch for all students through a different federal program based on community need.

And low-income families can apply for free or reduced-price meals at other schools.

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The end of pandemic-era federal assistance that made school meals available for free to all public school students — regardless of family income levels — is raising fears about the effects this school year for families already struggling with rising food and fuel costs.

"Families across the country are facing a very difficult reality of having to choose between feeding their kids or filling up their gas tank or purchasing medicine," said Vince Hall, chief government relations officer for Feeding America, a nonprofit network of food banks.

School meal rules have reverted to what they were before the coronavirus pandemic. Families who are eligible based on income levels are required to apply for their children to receive free or reduced-price lunches. Schools in predominantly low-income areas will be allowed to serve breakfast and lunch to everyone for free, as before.

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While waiving the eligibility requirement during the pandemic, the U.S. Agriculture Department, which oversees school meal programs, saw the number of participating students soar. During the past school year, about 30 million kids a day were getting free meals, compared to 20 million before the pandemic, said Cindy Long, administrator of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.

California and Maine made universal meals permanent last year and Vermont is continuing the free meals for all public school students for another year using surplus state education funding.

In Pennsylvania, state Sen. Lindsey M. Williams, of Pittsburgh, D-38th Dist., and minority chairperson of the Senate Education Committee, announced in August that she will introduce legislation to provide free school meals to all students.

"The return to paying for school breakfast and lunches is especially going to hurt families just above the income-eligibility guidelines for the free and reduced meals program," Williams said in a statement. "As we see prices rising at the grocery stores, now is not the time to take away reliable, nutritious meals from students."

Not only do the free universal meals give kids nutrition so they can learn but they also remove the stigma of being a free or reduced-price lunch kid and the embarrassment of families who can't pay their kids' lunch accounts, Williams said.

"Whether we're helping a student who forgot their lunch at home, a parent struggling with the loss of a job, or a family just trying to make ends meet, ensuring that every student has access to breakfast and lunch with no shame or stigma is one of the most commonsense ways we can help our kids be ready to learn every single day," Williams said.

But some officials worry about paying for meals for children from families who can easily afford them.

Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott supports helping those in need but "will not support imposing such taxes, which would disproportionately impact the very people we are trying to help, in order to fund meals for children of affluent families," spokesperson Jason Maulucci said.

Schools that offer free meals for all

Schools with a high percentage of low-income students can serve free meals for all students with federal funding from the Community Eligibility Provision, created by the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

Eligibility is based on community, rather than individual student, need. Schools in communities where at least 40% of the population is low-income are eligible for federal meal reimbursements.

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Erie County public school districts or schools offering free breakfast and lunch this school year through the CEP program:

• Corry Area School District, all schools

• Erie School District, all schools

• Girard School District, all schools

• Iroquois School District, all schools

• Northwestern School District, all schools

• Union City Area School District, all schools

• Wattsburg Area Elementary Center

Other schools providing free meals for all:

• Eagle's Nest Alternative Program

• Erie Rise Leadership Academy Charter School

• Mother Teresa Academy

• Patrick J. DiPaolo Student Success Center

• Perseus House Charter School of Excellence

• Robert Benjamin Wiley Community Charter School

Not all schools eligible for the Community Eligibility Provision participate in the program.

"Although we have several buildings (that) may meet the minimum qualifications to receive CEP funding, many of those buildings minimally reach the numbers to qualify and those numbers fluctuate throughout the year," Millcreek Township School District spokeswoman LiAnna Schwerer said. "At this point in time, it is better for our students and families to apply for reduced-price and free meals."

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Millcreek schools eligible for 2022-23 CEP funding but not participating in the program are Belle Valley, Chestnut Hill, Grandview and Tracy elementary schools and J.S. Wilson and Westlake middle schools.

Some schools in the Fort LeBoeuf and North East school districts also qualify for CEP funding but do not participate, again because of barely meeting eligibility standards or fluctuating enrollment, officials said.

In Fort LeBoeuf, Mill Village and Waterford elementary schools are CEP eligible but do not participate. North East schools eligible but not participating are Earle C. Davis Primary School, North East Intermediate Elementary School and North East Middle School.

How to apply for free or reduced-priced meals at other schools

Families with kids in schools that don't provide free meals for all may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals ― 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch ― through USDA's National School Lunch Program.

Eligibility is based on family size and income and is detailed on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website.

Families must apply with their local school district and can apply at any time, according to USDA.

Those receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits are automatically eligible for free school meals but may need to apply with their local school district.

Those receiving unemployment compensation or assistance from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children also may be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @ETNmyers.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Which Erie County schools are offering free meals and why