All students to be served meals at no charge during the 2022-23 school day

Due to California’s recently-adopted Universal Meal Program, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office and all of Kern County’s 46 public school districts are announcing an amendment to their policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch / School Breakfast Programs for the 2022-23 school year, effective July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. All students will be served lunch and breakfast at no charge during their school day. More on the California’s Universal Meal Program can be found at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sn/cauniversalmeals.asp.

Free and reduced-price meal applications or other applications to determine student eligibility may still be sent to households by local school districts for the purposes of other local school funding and program eligibility determinations. The eligibility determination from these applications and/or alternative income forms will not impact a student’s ability to receive breakfast and lunch at no charge at their school.

For additional information please contact: Rafael Juarez, Director of Food & Nutrition Services for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, 1300 17th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301, (661) 852-5930, [email protected].