As the new school year is quickly approaching, the Great Falls Public School District (GFPS) is ensuring that the students’ nutritional needs are met.
“Throughout the school year, almost all schools have a food pantry provided by PTA. [Families] can reach out to them and they can find ways to help serve them,” said Brian Miller, North Middle School principal.
Aside from having food pantries in most of the schools throughout the district, there is also a “free and reduced-price school meals program” offered throughout the school year.
“If you go to our website you can sign up [for the program] and it's a way to get lunches either free or reduced cost, and we have about 40% of our student body K through 12 who get a free and reduced lunch throughout the district,” Miller said.
Additionally, GFPS serves 200 to 300 lunches every day during the summer & this past summer they served just under 14,000 meals to students and families throughout the district.
“There's a need everywhere and there's a need in Great Falls too to kind of help fit the bills, to feed our family, to feed our kids, and so, it's just a way that Great Falls can continue to serve our students even when they're not in our buildings,” Miller explained.
The free and reduced-price lunch program is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition. GFPS believes every child needs daily healthy meals in order to learn.
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“I think right now, people and families are just having a difficult time. We’re working hard, we're doing the best we can, but we just need that extra help. I think the country and our state understands that, and so it's just a simple way to help parents who are trying to care for their kids,” Miller explained when describing the program.
The school lunches typically cost $3.00 for elementary students and $3.10 for middle and high school. With the reduced cost program, lunches cost $0.40.
“The funding comes through either federal or state programs that are a part of our budget, and they just provide ways to give us extra money to help serve our families as well,” Miller added.
For families that need an application for the free and reduced meal program, visit the Great Falls Public Schools website.
