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Gowanda students to receive free lunches

OBSERVER Photo by Andrew David Kuczkowski Gowanda Central School District announced that it will be giving free lunches to all of its students starting in the fall. The district recently qualified under the Community Eligibility Program that pays districts whose percentage of students that are in programs like Medicaid, Medicare and SNAP is higher than 40 percent. Gowanda, as of April 1, was at 45.59 percent.

GOWANDA — Asking mom and dad for lunch money won’t strain the wallets for parents in Gowanda. The district announced that all students attending Gowanda will receive free lunches as the school qualified for a four-year federal program.

The Community Eligibility Program, which is federally funded, allows Gowanda to discard the bill from its students. The program is for districts that have more than 40 percent of its students who are directly certified for a free lunch program.

The OBSERVER previously reported in the publisher’s notebook the percentages of local schools and its students who receive discounted or free lunches; Gowanda had 58 percent. However, this number differs from those who are directly certified.

To be directly certified, students must be under one of the programs such as Medicare, Medicaid or SNAP. Gowanda, as of April 1, was at 45.59 percent.

On Wednesday, the district confirmed that it will receive the funding and its students could reap the benefits.

“If you think about it, a lunch is two-to-three bucks a day, times four or five kids in your household. It all adds up,” Gowanda Superintendent James Klubek said. “If students want a second lunch, or they want a la carte, they’ll still have to pay for that, but the original lunch and breakfast is free.”

School Lunch Manager Amy Lineberger has been at Gowanda Central School District for almost two years now and is very energetic to see the kids not worry about the cash register at the end of the lunch line.

“I am over the moon, I am so beyond thrilled,” Lineberger said. “You have no idea how excited I am. Just the fact that the kids are going to be able to go through the (lunch) line, there will be no shaming. They don’t have to worry about, ‘Oh, you get free meals. Oh, you don’t. I’m rich, I can pay” — they don’t have to deal with that anymore. The kids are going to be able to go and eat their lunches and not worry about it. … Not that we have bullying (however).”

The district will be reimbursed at a rate of $3.24 for 72.944 percent of its students, with the new system, and for $.38 for the other 27.056 percent. If the district had 60 or greater percent of its students who are directly certified, then it would receive 100 percent of its lunches at a rate of $3.24.

The program assists those above the poverty level, but may not be at a financial status that is content with a daily full-lunch cost. Now, those parents don’t have to make ends meet for their child to eat at lunch time.

“What a relief for the kids,” Lineberger added. “I am just so excited.”

Email: Akuczkowski@observertoday.com

Twitter: @Kuczkowski95

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