California Meals for All begins in 2022-23 School Year

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SFUSD’s Student Nutrition Services has been offering free meals for all students during the 2021-22 school year thanks to temporary flexibilities granted by USDA waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, CA Meals for All, a statewide program offering Universal Meals for all school children,  is set to begin in the 2022-23 school year, which allows us to continue providing 100% free meals for 100% of kids! CA Meals for All is great news because:

All students eat for free.

  • CA Meals for All ensures daily access to a free breakfast and free lunch for all students, regardless of program eligibility. This benefits families at all income levels!

  • Prior to California Meals for All, a family of four who makes $49,026 per year still would not qualify for free school meals, despite the high cost of living in San Francisco.

No application necessary for students to receive a meal.

  • Classroom funding is still reliant on the Multipurpose Family Income Form - please continue to apply annually!

Free meals foster a more positive culture around school meals.

  • Children can focus on learning instead of being hungry or feeling uncomfortable choosing school meals.

  • Nutrition program staff can focus on supporting students directly, not collecting payments.

School meals are healthy!

  • Having a consistent option for healthy meals helps nourish students to prepare them for life inside and outside the classroom.

  • SFUSD will continue to hold to high quality and nutrition standards, which meet or exceed guidelines provided by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and California Department of Education (CDE).