As kids begin counting down the days to summer vacation, parents are reminded that the end of the school year also signals the end of free meals for every student. The federal government and USDA provided funding during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide all students access to free meals but Congress recently declined to subsidize it further.

In a memo released on their website, the Highland School District is reminding families that their child will need to carry a positive lunch account balance at the beginning of the school year. They suggest that everyone fill out an application for free or reduced meals when it is posted to the district website in mid-July. This is information that needs to be completed each year. In order to help families budget for meals and à la carte items, the district is allowing money to be deposited into students’ accounts now. They also suggest that those who have a negative school meal balance pay what is owed as soon as possible. For more information, those in the district can contact Donna DeWolf at ddewolf@highlandhuskies.org or Rachel Cerny at rcerny@highlandhuskies.org.