All students in the Rock Island-Milan School District will receive free breakfast and lunch beginning in August 2015.
Because about 70 percent of the students in the Rock Island-Milan School District receive free or reduced lunches, according to district spokeswoman Holly Sparkman, the district was approved for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a grant which allows schools serving low-income students free, nutritious meals to all students through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
To be eligible for the grant, 40 percent of students within a district must be certified for free meals without the use of household applications.
Sparkman said roughly 6,600 students would benefit from the meals.
“Hopefully it will be easier on parents knowing they can send their child to school and they’ll get a healthy lunch,” Sparkman said.
Jennifer Gluck of Rock Island said she had never heard of a school district providing free meals for all students, but she believes it’s a good idea.