Weiser School District no longer qualifies to provide free breakfast to all students

The start of the new school year brought some changes to the breakfast program offered to students in the Weiser School District.
 The school district since the early 2000s has provided free breakfast to all students in all schools based on the percentage of families in Weiser who qualified through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
 Weiser School District officials said they were notified in April that the district no longer qualifies for free breakfast status, also known as Provision 2. The percentage of families that qualified through the state has decreased, and the district was denied Provision 2 status.
 Superintendent Wade Wilson said the district will still continue to offer a breakfast option to all students at all schools. Students who qualify for either free or reduced lunches (under the National School Lunch Program) will continue to receive breakfast at either the free or reduced rate.  
 Students who do not qualify for free or reduced status will be charged for their breakfast this year. The cost for elementary and secondary students who don’t qualify for free or reduced is $1 for breakfast or 35 cents for milk only. Those students who qualify for reduced cost breakfast will pay 30 cents.
 The charge for lunch is $1.90 for elementary students, with those who qualify for reduced cost paying 40 cents and no charge for those who qualify for free lunch. Secondary students pay $2.10 for lunch, with students who qualify for reduced status paying 40 cents.
 Wilson said the district encourages all families in the school district to complete the application for free or reduced lunch, even if their child seldom eats. Accurate percentages of students who qualify for the program helps the district qualify for grants and other programs for all students.
 Eligibility for free or reduced-cost meals is determined by household size and income. The U.S. Department of Agriculture set new income guidelines for free and reduced price meals under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
 Contact the food services office at 208-414-0723 for help completing the application and for any questions about the meal program.