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All Escambia School District Students Will Receive Free Meals This Year
August 4, 2021
All Escambia County School District students will receive free meals this school year.
All traditional ECSD students in grades K-12 will receive free meals at school at no charge, according to the Escambia County School District Food Service Department.
“The USDA has made school breakfast and lunch available free to all Escambia County School District Students for the entirety of the 2021-2022 school year,” the district said, emphasizing that even students who are not ordinarily part of the free or reduced lunch programs will also be included in these free meal distributions.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
28 Responses to “All Escambia School District Students Will Receive Free Meals This Year”
Ok.When you have kids they eat. You did. Foodstamps font go very far when hamburger is almost 7.00 a pound. I raised 4 boys. Food was cheaper then and I still worried. Scraped turned into a coupon queen. Free lunch is what they need. Rich or poor. Nowadays everyone is having it bad. One income maybe no income bills still come in tell gulf power you can’t pay. And darkness falls. Especially the new company. Oh go get help…sorry we’re out of funds. People. Church don’t stop at the door. Find kindness and let the food program be what it is. Free. They could use help if you need a job. Cafeteria needs you too. Have a nice day.
@John
Several years ago, my brother-in-law died unexpectedly.
He was the breadwinner for his family. His wife suddenly became a single mother caring for their son. They struggled for a few years and nearly lost their home before my sister managed to find a decent paying job.
Thankfully, her school district provided free breakfast and lunch, so she just had to worry about providing one meal after working all day.
They didn’t fail to plan. They didn’t have a child outside of their budget. They were unlucky.
If the government takes $100 out of the $25k I pay in taxes every year to make sure a struggling family like my sister’s doesn’t have to starve, I fully support it.
Just to put this in perspective..
The federal government has spent over 6 TRILLION dollars on the war in the middle east since 2001, or 305 billion dollars per year.
In 2019, the USDA spent 14.1 billion dollars to fund free lunches.
One year of war could pay for nearly 22 years of free lunches.
How many millions of our tax dollars are we giving to many other countries. It is about time that we took care of our own.
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”, a phrase made popular by Karl Marx.
You realize, of course, that Americans are heading in that direction and have been for quite some time.
As a child that knew what it was like to be unable to focus on learning because of hunger this does not come soon enough.
I cannot believe that people have a problem with this. It is absolutely laughable. I don’t get what the big deal is with the government taking care of people that need help. Some of you need to check your privilege. To that one person worried about “conditioning wealthy children that their government will take care of them”, jeez what an awful thought! A government that cares for all people. Besides, children of really wealthy people most likely don’t even go to public school. These comments are some of the most selfish things I’ve ever read on a story about allowing CHILDREN to have food. Some of you shouldn’t even be allowed to call yourselves Christian anymore.
Good.
Every child should have their school meals paid for along with health care and a yearly stipend for purchasing books or musical instruments.
To those complaining about their taxes going to feed children, do you feel the same way about your taxes going towards feeding the military-industrial complex? At least some of your money is going towards something positive rather than lining the pockets of weapons manufacturers and politicians.
Our children are our future whether they are yours or someone else’s. It takes a village to raise a child.
Perhaps if the children of today are treated with empathy and respect they will grow into selfless people and eliminate the rampant culture of selfishness that so many suffer from.
I have no problem with providing meals for those who can’t. But doesn’t this condition even those who CAN provide, that government will take care of them?
What family, living in a $500,000 house, would ask their neighbors to feed their kids? But we somehow see “free” school lunches, for all, as something different?
why gee let’s don’t stop here let’s keep going why not place a toll booth at every major inner section charge just a quarter that will help feed the grownups who can’t cook and take care of themselves and we can call it meals on wheels it could employ more people deliver these meals to homes
it’s only fair that everyone gets to eat. o and make sure your doors are unlocked some folks out there needs a place to stay for the night. remember be nice to your fellow man or woman just like Santa leave the milk and cookies out for them. wow such sweet people in this world I never knew.
Of course you have all the bleeding hearts, trying to shame people into thinking they are bad for questioning the “FREE” lunch. I don’t work to support my kids and yours. Don’t have kids if you can’t feed them, DUH!
John for more common sense!
That’s a blessing and God bless all those involved in this decision to make breakfast and lunch free to all K-12th grade students. For the ones who see this as a problem, may GOD have mercy on your evil, selfish, money hungry soul. Hopefully you’ll never be homeless nor without food. Smh.
YIKES….Y’all there are sme harsh folks posting here not wanting to make sure ALL kids have nutritious meals at school.
For LOTS of kids their school is the one place they can depend upon for being fed and that includes our most needy and our most plush families and homes.
Those of you who bash feeding kids, I bet you carry a Bible in your pocket or purse and point out all the ills and evils of others.
Kind of scary thinking anyone would wish to allow a child of God to go hungry.
Boohoo, your tax dollars are going to feed hungry children in a territory founded on human rights.
I bet you hurl insults at homeless people too, because you know, it’s ALL THEIR FAULT, no exceptions..
Nobody ever lost a job, got injured or sick, or god forbid a veteran with mental disabilities that got lost in a pile of paperwork (because the VA can’t afford computers or anyone competent enough to operate them)
You’d probably enjoy a trip to Afghanistan. You can watch toddlers dig through piles of our own operation’s refuse and filth, praying to find half of a rotten sandwich and a hot bottle of urine. Don’t forget to bring your popcorn! Charter a helicopter so you can admire the version of hopscotch they play on the way home. You know, the one where they pray they don’t step on a landmine from the cold war and lose their other leg…
Everybody is just on drugs or lazy… except you right? Very busy complaining on the internet from your air conditioned cubicle..
Shut up and go pay your mortgage, you entitled 1st World Citizens, I think you’ll survive…
That’s right, I said it.
@Elizabeth
Not wanting to feed kids is a weird hill to die on.
“The article doesn’t state this, but I’m sure this is largely due to Covid.”
Because it’s not. A growing list Escambia County schools have been part of this USDA program since at least 2015 (before COVID).
The article doesn’t state this, but I’m sure this is largely due to Covid. Having students be able to move quickly through the line, and cafeteria workers having to check account balances, means less congestion. It might also mean that items like ice cream, chips, etc., which usually require another line, will be eliminated. Many parents likely aren’t aware that proceeds from those items raise money for the school. Sad that schools aren’t better funded.
I don’t understand why my taxes(I have no kids in school!) are paying for school meals when the parents of these kids ( who may or may not be working due to already government handouts) can’t make sure their kids are fed breakfast before leaving for school! And what about making sandwiches for your kids the night before!
Wow, your saying it’s a govt handout? My child has been out of school 17 yrs & I STILL have to pay school taxes ever year, along with millions of others. Sooo with that said, EVERY child should be getting free lunch’s!
Great stock photo. I wish the lunches looked like that.
Very appreciative for this. There are so many families that just can’t afford to feed their kids everyday.
@mike
This is from federal funds. The higher property taxes are the result of the housing boom and an increase to help repay the costs of hurricane recovery.
The funds have been available for years but the states/counties had to agree to conform to USDA nutrition guidelines (no soda fountains or junk food). Some schools (Bellview and Beulah confirmed) were already doing it and using the USDA free food funds.
Florida or Alabama?
The government will support us, tell us how to behave and correct us when we are wrong. Big government from the cradle to the crypt…no need for us to work anymore.
Most students already received free meals. This is a hand out to higher income families. What about home school families.
alright, some of that almost doubled property tax money finally going back to the people in some small way
This a beautiful and morally correct decision.
There is no such thing as a free lunch!