Free School Lunch Program Continued

Catholic school students in the Diocese of Baton Rouge will be able to receive free breakfast and lunch, courtesy of a federal program initially launched a year ago and extended for the 2021-22 school year.

Lynda Carville, director of child nutrition for the diocese, said the free lunch program, which falls under the National School Lunch and Summer Feeding Program, was launched this past September in response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

“I expected it to be continued just because the way the economy is and people not being able to work,” Carville said. “And the pandemic is not over, with some places spiking.”

Carville said the program provides breakfast and lunch, with students having hot and cold choices and an after school snack.

“I think the program, and the decision to continue the program, is great because it’s helping out people who are still recovering from COVID-19,” Carville said. “It’s helping out a lot of parents. The way people are working is different than before COVID.”

She said the program is especially beneficial for low-income families. Typically, the cost for lunch per child is $3.10 for elementary and middle school students, $3 for high school students and $2 for breakfast, so the money saved is critical for the more needy families, especially those students attending Catholic schools on the state scholarship program.

Carville also pointed out that for many students, the meals they are served at school might be the only meals they eat throughout the day, and often the most nutritional.

“Even students who have two parents working, they might come home and mom says, “Let’s just put something in the oven,” Carville said. “Our meals are freshly made every day. So that child is getting a meal that meets all of the nutritional values. This program is important to every child.”

More than one million meals are served each school year through the child nutrition program, Carville said, with the menus being generally static although occasionally tailored to meet the needs at a particular school. She emphasized that all of the meals must meet federal and state nutritional requirements.

Breakfast choices include a cold menu, such as a cereal or breakfast bar, but a hot menu is also available. Students have a choice of three hot meals at lunch, which includes such dishes as roast beef or chicken tenders.

“Kids like choices so we give them lots of choices,” Carville said.