HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Across the country, school lunches will be free for the rest of the year, thanks to federal COVID-19 aid.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue made the announcement Monday morning at Bonaire Elementary.
That news means parents in Houston County and across the country will see a little more relief when it comes to feeding their kids.
During a regular school year, nearly 60 percent of students in Houston County receive free or reduced price school meals.
"I think when you remove the barrier of price, it just puts all kids on a level playing field," says Director of School Nutrition, Meredith Potter.
Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act back in March, which allowed all students to eat for free.
Those funds were expected to last through June 2020.
On Monday, Perdue says they can stretch that money a little more.
"We can extend the summer program waivers through December, allowing every child to eat free, no matter their economic circumstance," he says. "This extension of the summer program authority will allow schools like Bonaire Elementary and the other partners all across the country to ensure access to local meal sites throughout the nation."
They have not received more funding from Congress yet, but he says they are optimistic.
"They are in discussion of all of this now. We may need to pull those waivers back, but at this time, we are confident we can provide the waiver flexibility through December 31," says Perdue.
Potter says from March to the first day of school on August 6th, they've given out 1.4 million meals.
"Funding or not, we're going to continue to do what we can to provide food for our kids, and so we adjusted back in March and we will adjust again," she says. "I think we’re just gonna see families benefit significantly from this announcement."
Houston County Superintendent Mark Scott says this news will be a weight off of some families' shoulders.
"I've heard from parents whose family situation has changed, employment situation had changed," says Scott. "It really allows us to rest easy knowing that children are being fed and provided a nutritious meal every day."
Perdue also wanted to offer a big "thank you" to school nutrition workers who he says have been working harder than ever to make sure kids stay fed during this pandemic.
"We are continuing to fulfill our USDA motto, which is to 'Do right and feed everyone.'"