Watch CBS News

Iowa: Council Bluffs Schools To Offer All Students Free Meals

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) -- All students in the Council Bluffs school district will receive free meals beginning this fall.

Lisa Stewart, director of nutrition services for the district, told the board of education this week that the entire school district now qualifies for Community Eligibility Provision, a federal program that allows students to eat free breakfast and lunch.

The Daily Nonpareil reports families in elementary schools could save up to $700 a year, with families of high school students saving up to $900 a year.

Stewart said the students qualified because of a state decision in March 2018 to accept certain classifications of Medicaid enrollees as automatically qualified for free lunches. She says the change was not caused by a sudden decline in the area's economy.

(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.