All students who attend Heard County Schools will receive a breakfast and lunch at no cost for the 2024-2025 school year. Any student who attends any of Heard County’s five schools qualifies for the benefit, which will cover the daily cost of a breakfast and lunch. Students will be required to pay for any extras, such as ice cream, chips, ala-carte items, second meals, or additional items. “We are excited to be able to provide such a wonderful cost saving advantage to our students and families,” declared Heard County School Superintendent Mike Roberts. “Thanks to the USDA and our Director of Nutrition Randal Dodson for making this happen.”
The cost of the meals is being covered by the United States Department of Agriculture through the National School Lunch Program. “We were able to qualify for Community Eligibility Provision based upon our percentage of directly certified students who are eligible for free meals,” stated Randal Dodson, Heard County School System Director of Nutrition. “This data was provided by the state school nutrition department and DHS, and tracked, compiled and sorted out by us.”
As of now, the Heard County School System has qualified for this Community Eligibility Provision for a five year period. This will allow students in Heard County to receive breakfasts and lunches at no cost through the 2028-2029 school year. Additionally, parents will NOT be required to fill out the Free/Reduced Lunch forms for the 2024-2025 school year.