WCBC

August 26th, 2019 by WCBC Radio

Students in the Allegany County Public School System will have several options for eating breakfast and lunch during the upcoming 2019-2020 school year. ACPS participates in several free food programs that include the Maryland Meals for Achievement’s Breakfast in the Classroom; the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program; the Community Eligibility provision.  Also, as always, breakfast and lunch is offered at cost in school cafeterias.

To be eligible for the Breakfast in the Classroom program, a school must have at least a 40% Free and Reduced Meals percentage. Through this program, every student in the participating school is offered a free breakfast in the classroom for the students to eat if they so choose.

Participating schools that will provide a free daily breakfast in the classroom include Braddock Middle, Cash Valley Elementary, Cresaptown Elementary, Flintstone Elementary, Fort Hill High, George’s Creek Elementary, Northeast Elementary, South Penn Elementary, the Career Center, Washington Middle, Westmar Middle, and Westernport Elementary.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program is a federally assisted program that provides free fresh fruits and vegetables to children in eligible elementary schools twice a week during the school day. The goal of this program is to introduce students to new and different varieties of fruits and vegetables and to encourage healthier school environments.

The Community Eligibility Provision provides a non-pricing meal service option for schools and districts in low-income areas.  Through this provision, the schools are able to serve free breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria to all enrolled students without the need to collect household applications.

Currently, free daily breakfast and lunch along with fresh fruits and vegetables twice a week are offered to the top four Title I schools with the highest percentage of FARMs in ACPS. These schools include John Humbird, Westernport, South Penn, and George’s Creek Elementary Schools.