Free Meal Plan for Bartow County Students

It’s not too often that we get to write the word “free” in a message to our Bartow County School System Family, but today, we get the honor to do just that thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture!

Starting, September 11, 2020, Bartow County students receiving in-person instruction will be eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch every day. On September 24, distance learning students will also be able to take advantage of the program and pick up free meals at their schools. Additional information for our distance learning students is forthcoming.

To assist school nutrition staff in the preparation of meals, a survey will be sent electronically to all distance learning students to assess and evaluate participation. This is just for informational purposes; no sign-up is needed to participate.

This new federal meal initiative does not apply to a la carte or other food service items and will end on December 31, 2020, or until all funds are exhausted.

Additionally, the free meal service will be retroactive to September 1, 2020. So, if you paid for school breakfasts and/or lunches from September 1-17, the money will be applied back to your account as a credit to be used in the future. Please allow up to three weeks for this credit to appear on your child’s account.

“We were very excited to hear this announcement from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue,” says Bartow County School Nutrition Director Betsy Roam. “These are unprecedented times, and many of our children are in new, ever-changing environments. This will help ensure our children are fed and ready to learn.”

Even with the assistance of this program, we still need all interested families to complete a free or reduced meal application to ensure a smooth transition back to traditional pricing models this winter.