BREMERTON — Changes are coming to Bremerton School District's free breakfast program.
The district has been serving breakfast free at all elementary schools for all students. Starting in the fall, K-5 students who meet federal school nutrition program guidelines for free and reduced-cost lunch will continue to get breakfast for free. Those who do not will pay $1.95.
A large majority of elementary students who regularly eat breakfast at school do meet income guidelines, said district spokeswoman Patty Glaser. Only 26 percent do not.
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Students who meet income guidelines will continue to get free breakfast and lunch regardless of whether they qualify for free or reduced-cost meals.
The district had been subsidizing the cost to feed breakfast to students whose meals are not covered by federal and state subsidies under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's School Meal programs. Discontinuation of the policy is not related to larger budget considerations, Glaser said.
Bremerton School District is once again participating in the Summer Food Program that offers free meals to anyone 18 years or younger. No ID is required and there are no forms to fill out.
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The summer meal program is funded by the USDA and administered by the state's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Participating school districts and other sponsors, such as tribes, must show at least 50 percent of families in the area to be served (a school's service area boundary, for example) meet income eligibility for federal meal subsidies. In some cases, U.S. Census data is used to establish a sponsor's eligibility.
Bremerton's summer meal program is the largest in Kitsap County, with meals served from June 18 through August 10 at selected schools, apartment complexes and other locations. Breakfast, lunch and (in limited locations) snacks are served. For a complete schedule, visit bremertonschools.org and search for "child nutrition summer food program."
South Kitsap has two summer lunch sites. Lunch will be served from June 25 through Aug. 17 at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday at East Port Orchard Elementary School, and sack lunch will be available from July 11 through Aug. 15 at noon at Port Orchard's waterfront gazebo. For information, visit skschools.org.
In Central Kitsap, Woodlands Elementary School will host summer meals from July 17 through Aug. 17 at 12:30 p.m. For information, visit ckschools.org.
North Kitsap and Bainbridge Island school districts do not meet summer meal program participation guidelines. However, summer meal sites are open to all children and youth 18 and younger, regardless of whether they live in the district where the site is located.
