CLEVELAND — With the book now closed on the Universal School Meals Program Act, which provided no-cost meals to all students regardless of income, it's back to the basics in Northeast Ohio schools when it comes to food.
"This coming school year, ‘22-‘23 is going to look and feel very similar to school year ‘18-’19," said Brigette Hires, Ohio Department of Education, Office of Nutrition.
Gone are the no-cost breakfasts and lunches for everybody.
Families must once again meet requirements that were in place prepandemic.
"So, households will have to apply for free or reduced-price eligibility," said Hires.
News 5 reached out to several school districts across Northeast Ohio, including Berea City Schools, which encouraged its families to apply for free and reduced meals before the end of last school year to make sure students didn't fall through the cracks.
In East Cleveland, we learned the Community Eligibility Provision, which is based on poverty data, is in effect.
"They can continue to offer no-cost meals to all of their students," said Hires.
CEP is a program piquing the interest of more school districts.
"We're getting a lot more requests for information about CEP," said Hires.
If you're worried about covering the cost of packing your child's lunch every day, or paying for meals offered at school, there are two ways districts participate in the school meal program.
The traditional option, paper applications, typically show up with the other forms your child will likely come home with on the first day of school.
Online applications can let you know right away if you are eligible based on U.S. Dept. of Agriculture guidelines.
Ongoing inflation is expected to have an impact on schools.
"They are having the same difficulties that I'm sure all of us are experiencing when we go to the grocery store," said Hires.
Additional funding from the Keep Kids Fed Act is on the way to help districts offset the higher costs of feeding Ohio children this school year.
"It authorized an additional $.40 per lunch reimbursement and $.15 per breakfast reimbursement," said Hires.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is also allocating $33 million dollars to help Ohio school districts buy fresh fruit and veggies, meat and milk.
For those families that don't qualify for free or reduced meals, they're encouraged to still take advantage of those daily breakfasts and lunches.
"They are a wonderful, nutritious opportunity for your children to be able to get a well-balanced meal at school," said Hires.
In addition to those important dollars to keep school kitchens stocked this year, the Keep Kids Fed Act will provide a safeguard in case a spike in COVID cases forces schools to go remote.
Ohio schools will then be allowed to send meals home with children to make sure they don't go hungry.
