Free Lunches for all for 2026-2027 SY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no point in serving weird food (chia pudding???) that no one will eat. What a stupid suggestion.

The 11-13 y/os in my nieces group love chia pudding, smoothies, acai, etc. Its the same as the skincare social group. But fine use another example of accessible healthy food, the universe that isn’t “give free deep dish pizza” is enormous. I had selected things that are not prohibitively expensive or difficult to prepare as an example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is emblematic of what society has become. A three tiered system.

The accumulating class - a small group of people who have sufficient wealth to just sit around and watch their wealth continue to grow, sure they pay taxes but not enough to keep everything going.

The supporting class - an ever shrinking middle class who mostly stay above water and whose taxes keep everything going.

The mooch class - those who rely on the tax dollars of the other two classes to do nothing but still have a better standard of living than most of the people around the world. An ever growing segment of the population not at all interested in a hand up but want a perpetual hand out.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Somebody, in this case the supporting class, primarily, is buying that free lunch.

Yes, and in the case of school kids, they are the children of the mooch class. And they’ll learn from their parents.

The PC term for this is:

- inter generational poverty. It goes along with learned-helplessness.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, please no. This was such a waste during COVID. If families need lunch or breakfast, they should apply and get it. To make it free for everyone is such a waste since many take it but throw it out or don’t eat it. I would rather spend money elsewhere, like for the teachers teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TLDR.

The quality of the food could use improvement.

I would be happy to pay more in taxes or more in charge per meal for a more appetizing, healthier lunch.

If done right, even deep dish pizza can be nutritious delicious and healthy.

[Anonymous]

I taught in Asia and I wish we would do school lunch like they did.

I am for it. But there needs to be a balance and not just whatever the latest health craze is. Skim milk with fruit loops is NOT it.

There are many benefits to making it free for all rather than an administrative burden that it is now.

[Anonymous]

Karl Frisch was whining about a “budget shortfall” in his email today.

But suddenly there’s money for free lunch for all?!?

FCPS is so poorly run it is becoming an increasingly pathetic joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids receive free lunch right now. It saves me a lot of time and money. It doesn’t cover extras though. My middle schooler likes to buy extras alongside the free lunch, which is fine, but adds up to maybe $30/month.

My kid spends $10 a day on lunch. 2 meals and a snack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Karl Frisch was whining about a “budget shortfall” in his email today.

But suddenly there’s money for free lunch for all?!?

FCPS is so poorly run it is becoming an increasingly pathetic joke.

Someone upthread mentioned money is saved in the transaction costs. If everyone gets free lunch, the schools don't have to pay anyone to sort out who gets what.

Would be interested in hearing more about the numbers and getting an actual breakdown though I don't know where to find such info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Karl Frisch was whining about a “budget shortfall” in his email today.

But suddenly there’s money for free lunch for all?!?

FCPS is so poorly run it is becoming an increasingly pathetic joke.

Someone upthread mentioned money is saved in the transaction costs. If everyone gets free lunch, the schools don't have to pay anyone to sort out who gets what.

Would be interested in hearing more about the numbers and getting an actual breakdown though I don't know where to find such info.

FCPS has a program budget which includes stuff like food and nutrition and transportation. The last one had Food getting over 36 million in revenue from food sales. It's self supporting. CEP- all students get 1 free breakfast and 1 free lunch based on FARMS levels but the threshold used to be 40% of students and changed to 25% in Oct 2023 with NO federal $ for the gap. How does FCPS pay for the non FARMS meals at the CEP schools?

FCPS under any plan still has to submit per student family income stuff since that's how the cash flows in. All getting free means a $ supplement. VA projected it would cost the state 202million in the supplement statewide to provide all free 1 breakfast and 1 lunch, if VA doesn't fund all of it the cost goes to the school division. https://rga.lis.virginia.gov/Published/2024/RD727/PDF

Vermont has state RE property taxes by school district and those rates were proposed to go up $.03 to fund the supplement part for non FARMS.
VA spreadsheets per school for 2025 on CEP % and participation https://www.doe.virginia.gov/programs-services/school-operations-support-services/school-nutrition/program-statistics-reports

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Karl Frisch was whining about a “budget shortfall” in his email today.

But suddenly there’s money for free lunch for all?!?

FCPS is so poorly run it is becoming an increasingly pathetic joke.

Someone upthread mentioned money is saved in the transaction costs. If everyone gets free lunch, the schools don't have to pay anyone to sort out who gets what.

Would be interested in hearing more about the numbers and getting an actual breakdown though I don't know where to find such info.

Sure having numbers would be great, but if savings in transaction costs is enough for free food for all then the food will be of poor quality at best.

[Anonymous]

I taught elementary school.

In one school, the dietician came by every morning to get the "count." Kids paying (very few) gave me the money and I put it in an envelope with the count of paying, free lunch, and bringers--purchasing milk only.

Then, the kids went through with no tickets or cards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I taught elementary school.

In one school, the dietician came by every morning to get the "count." Kids paying (very few) gave me the money and I put it in an envelope with the count of paying, free lunch, and bringers--purchasing milk only.

Then, the kids went through with no tickets or cards.

Our elementary school did this (FCPS) in the 1980s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Karl Frisch was whining about a “budget shortfall” in his email today.

But suddenly there’s money for free lunch for all?!?

FCPS is so poorly run it is becoming an increasingly pathetic joke.

I thought the free lunch idea is a state proposal, not one from FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Karl Frisch was whining about a “budget shortfall” in his email today.

But suddenly there’s money for free lunch for all?!?

FCPS is so poorly run it is becoming an increasingly pathetic joke.

Someone upthread mentioned money is saved in the transaction costs. If everyone gets free lunch, the schools don't have to pay anyone to sort out who gets what.

Would be interested in hearing more about the numbers and getting an actual breakdown though I don't know where to find such info.

FCPS has a program budget which includes stuff like food and nutrition and transportation. The last one had Food getting over 36 million in revenue from food sales. It's self supporting. CEP- all students get 1 free breakfast and 1 free lunch based on FARMS levels but the threshold used to be 40% of students and changed to 25% in Oct 2023 with NO federal $ for the gap. How does FCPS pay for the non FARMS meals at the CEP schools?

FCPS under any plan still has to submit per student family income stuff since that's how the cash flows in. All getting free means a $ supplement. VA projected it would cost the state 202million in the supplement statewide to provide all free 1 breakfast and 1 lunch, if VA doesn't fund all of it the cost goes to the school division. https://rga.lis.virginia.gov/Published/2024/RD727/PDF

Vermont has state RE property taxes by school district and those rates were proposed to go up $.03 to fund the supplement part for non FARMS.
VA spreadsheets per school for 2025 on CEP % and participation https://www.doe.virginia.gov/programs-services/school-operations-support-services/school-nutrition/program-statistics-reports

Thanks! The knowledge base on DCUM is amazing.

So it sounds like it would be expensive but, potentially (if funded by the state and paid for by RE property taxes) not so expensive that taxpayers would feel the increase.

[Anonymous]

I'm all for free lunch for those who can't afford it. I would even be fine with more money going to make it better quality for their health, but no, we don't need to give free lunch to those with the means. I suspect they will find more ways to save money to feed people for free and the quality will go down more.