Schools that are coming online next year with CEP include the Auburn School District, which announced to its families this month that it will offer universal free lunches at all schools through 2026.
“It removes the barrier for a lot of our families,” said Vickie Alonzo, Auburn School District spokesperson. Families no longer will have to fill out paperwork for their children to receive the school meals, which could sometimes be daunting, for instance, for families who do not speak English as a primary language.
About 61% of students in the district live in a low-income home, according to district data.
Separately, the Auburn School District is also budgeting $600,000 to provide its 17,000 students with school supplies, including notebooks, pens, erasers and earbuds.
“We see it as a matter of equity,” Alonzo said. “Every student needs school supplies to be successful. It’s a win for us and our community.”
Wagner, of Yakima, said meeting kids’ basic needs goes a long way in making sure that education is effective.
“It takes that strain off their kids. If they’re not nourished at schools, they get headaches, they have behavior problems, they can’t learn,” Wagner said. “You can do all the right things in the classroom, but if the kids don’t have their basic needs met, they aren’t successful.”
Universal free school lunch is ending — but not for all WA students - Crosscut
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