Ashland City Schools to host walk-in event for free and reduced lunch signups

ASHLAND — The Ashland City School District is hosting a two-day, walk-in event to help parents register for the USDA’s free and reduced lunch program after two years of nationwide free school lunches.

The event takes place Aug. 16 and 17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ashland City School’s central office. Attendees can use public laptops and access staff assistance to sign up for the lunch program which recently moved online.

“This is perfect for the kids who, maybe mom and dad didn’t finish high school, they both work hard, they have a life at home, they provide a good life for their kids. But they need help, and maybe they’re not the best at filling out forms on computers,” Board of Education President Zack Truax said.

From March 2020-June 2022, schools were able to offer free meals to every student via the USDA’s COVID-19 child nutrition waivers. Parents did not have to register for the program, and there was no income requirement.

That program ended June 30 when Congress chose not to renew it after passing a new school lunch bill.

Families that need free or reduced lunches for the 2022-2023 school year must meet certain income requirements and register for the USDA’s program.

“The folks that most need this program haven’t had to sign up for it for two-plus years. And so they’ve become un-enrolled, basically,” Truax said.

Kindergarten-through-5 lunch prices are $3 per meal and grades 6 to 12 lunch prices are $3.25 per meal for the 2022-2023 school year, according to a press release from Ashland City Schools.

Ashland mom Nichole Aber, who has three kids in Ashland City Schools, is not looking forward to having to deal with lunch account balances again, she said.

“I didn’t like that I had to pay to use it. I had to pay a fee to add money to their accounts,” Aber said.

Aber runs No Child Goes Hungry, a charity fund that seeks to pay off school lunch debt in Ashland County. She also runs another fund specifically for K-8 student lunch debt in Ashland City Schools.

For two years, thousands of dollars in both funds have gone mostly untouched. Now, Aber’s focus is on getting people to register for the free and reduced lunch program.

“That’s the only concern, will they show up? Will they be able to get online to do it? Will they be able to navigate it, to apply?” she wondered.

The USDA’s specific income requirements are available here, and links to sign-up forms for the various Ashland county school districts are below.