All students in the three Karns City Area School District schools will receive free lunch starting Friday, Dec. 1, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture expanded the Community Eligibility Provision for the program.

Eric Ritzert, district superintendent, said students have had access to free breakfast for about six years now, and he hopes expanding to lunch will grow the benefits of students being well-fed.

“We saw the positive impact where students were able to grab something to eat for breakfast. We're hoping to do the same for lunch,” Ritzert said, “and it eliminates the stigma worrying about, ‘Do they have enough money for lunch?’”

The Department of Agriculture published a final rule in the Federal Register on Sept. 26 expanding access to the Community Eligibility Provision by lowering the minimum identified student percentage participation threshold from 40% to 25%. The Karns City Area School District school board approved the participation in the Community Eligibility Program at a Nov. 13 meeting.

Ritzert said Tuesday, Nov. 28, an average of 51% of students in the district already qualified for free or reduced meals.

The added access to free lunch won’t impact costs at the district, according to Ritzert, because the federal government reimburses the district for all of the free student lunches, which covers the meal costs to the district’s food contractor.

Students will get one free lunch per day, so a la carte items, seconds and additional purchases would still cost money to students, according to a letter from the district.

“It won't change the meal options. All students will be able to secure a free lunch every day,” he said. “It's an opportunity to help people without needing money from our taxpayers.”

Students in the district will not have to file any paperwork to receive the free lunches. The provision starts Friday, Dec. 1, Ritzert said, because the federal government requires it to take effect the first day of a month.