Students in St. Cloud to Start the Year With Free Meals
ST. CLOUD -- Students in St. Cloud will be able to receive free breakfast and lunch for a limited time this fall as the U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended its Summer Food Service Program.
Starting Monday, students in the St. Cloud Area School District will be returning for in-person classes. Kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders will eat at school four days a week. Third through twelfth graders in the hybrid model will eat at school just two days a week but will be given take-home meals for their at-home days.
Because all students are at home on Fridays, an additional meal will be sent home on Wednesday or Thursday depending on when their last in-person day falls.
Kids enrolled in the Distance Learning Academy are able to opt into the meal program as well with grab & go meals that can be picked up at the elementary schools from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The extension of the food service program is limited and dependent upon the availability of funding. Families with financial need are still being encouraged to complete a free and reduced lunch application for assistance when the district switches back to the fee-based meal program.