Grant money to help with Georgia student lunch expires at the end of this school year

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - For the 2023-24 school year, GaDOE used Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund pandemic relief funds to cover the cost of reduced-price breakfast and meals – meaning families who qualified for reduced-price meals received them free this year.

According to the Georgia Department of Education for the current school year, 63.98% of K-12 students statewide qualify.

State Representative Imani Barnes sponsored a bill that would include funding for the program in the state’s budget.

“It’s fuel we know food is fuel. The cost of food is extremely high, and healthy food is even higher, as a single parent able to pay for my kid’s lunch, it makes me think about those who can’t afford it,” said Rep. Barnes

Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, families who qualify for reduced-price meals will again need to pay the price of $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch. There will be no change for families who qualify for free meals.

Income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price meals are set federally. An overview is available here.