Families brace for changes to pandemic-era free school meals

By LISA RATHKE
Associated Press

ESSEX, Vt. (AP) — The pandemic-era federal aid that made school meals available for free to all public school students — regardless of family income levels — is ending, raising fears about the effects in the upcoming school year for families already struggling with rising food and fuel costs. A bill signed by President Joe Biden over the weekend is intended to allow summer meal distributions to remain widely available for students. It also gives higher reimbursement for meals to schools while providing some flexibilities to help them deal with increasing food prices and supply chain issues. Several states have taken it upon themselves to keep school meals free for all.