More Idaho students now qualify for free USDA school lunches

Marc Lutz//August 27, 2024//

More than 160,000 children are eligible for reduced or free meals at schools thanks to a program through the USDA. (PHOTO: DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM)

Marc Lutz//August 27, 2024//

Listen to this article

Thanks to a change in requirements, more students in Idaho are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. In fact, according to the Idaho Department of Education, the number has “more than doubled.”

The department stated that all students below 185% of the federal poverty level for the 2024-2025 school year will qualify for direct certification.

Medicaid-enrolled students will automatically qualify for benefits through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Direct Certification Medicaid Demonstration Project, the department stated.

“Direct certification is a process by which schools can automatically certify students as eligible for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program,” a release stated.

The change will benefit more than 160,000 Medicaid-enrolled students. Idaho was one of five states that was selected for the USDA program.

“This change cuts significant red tape for both schools and families when it comes to getting kids fed and ready to learn,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield. “By removing this barrier for both parents and families, we can ensure that our efforts are concentrated on what they should be ― educating kids ― and not on filling out or processing governmental forms that can be a barrier to service.”