Alachua County Public Schools to offer free meals for 2021-22 school year

Press release from Alachua County Public Schools

Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) Food and Nutrition Services will be providing free meals for all its students under the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. 

All schools in the district will be participating in the USDA nationwide waiver, which allows the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) to be extended through the 2021-22 school year. Enrolled students will be provided a nutritious meal for breakfast and lunch each day at no charge to the household. Households will not be required to submit a meal application to receive the free meals.

The USDA waiver allows school food authorities to participate under SSO during COVID–19 operations for the regular school year to facilitate the safe provision of meals by eliminating the need to collect meal payments. This speeds up service of meals, thereby reducing contact and potential exposure to COVID–19.

“The nationwide waiver is a great opportunity to provide meals at no charge to the students at our schools throughout the 2021-22 school year,” said Maria Eunice, Director of the district’s Food and Nutrition Services Department. “We encourage students to use this opportunity to try some of the amazing meal options that we offer each day, if they have not already.”