Can districts feed all children free at school?
Answer. In areas where schools have resumed operation, USDA has granted a waiver exception to the School Lunch and School Breakfast Regulations. Schools in the disaster area unable to maintain normal accountability systems and which are able to operate will be allowed to serve all meals free to attending children. This waiver is valid through September 30, 2005. Households certified for emergency food stamps are automatically eligible for free meals. When there are large numbers of homeless families and children because of property loss or damage, school officials may keep a list to document free meal eligibility, in lieu of individual applications. The MDE has established a “Hurricane Katrina Disaster Page” on the Department’s website which includes a link for “Communications to Districts” for the MDE to post current information. Go to “Communications to Districts” and select “Letters and Memos for Districts” to view the memo dated August 31, 2005, concerning Emergency Feeding of Scho
