MADISON, Wis. — For the first time in two years, many families will have to pay for their students’ school lunches again.

Throughout the pandemic, schools were able to extend free breakfast and lunch to all students using money from the American Rescue Plan Act. Now, that part of the plan has expired.

Data showed in the 2018-19 school year, Wisconsin school districts gave out 48 million meals. Of them, 58% were free or set at a reduced price.

Now, to qualify, students:

• Must be in a family of four, which will have to make under, or about, $51,000;
• Have someone in the home on SNAP or FoodShare;
• Or have life circumstances such as being homeless or a foster child to qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Families can start applying for free or reduced lunch eligibility now.

“[The] Department of Public Instruction does an amazing job of supporting families to fill out the application for free and reduced lunch,” said Brian Squire, the youth and family initiatives manager at Second Harvest Food Bank. “They have a webcast on their websites for how to fill out the application. They have it available in English, Hmong and Spanish.”

There are some schools that participate in the Community Eligibility Program, which allows them to provide free meals to all students. For instance, the Madison Metropolitan School District has 16 schools that take part. Schools that use that program won’t see any changes.

For more about free and reduced lunches, click here.