With New School Year Starting, FCPS Offers Programs for Hungry Students

With school now back in session for Fairfax County, the county’s public schools have several programs to help hungry students.

Nineteen Fairfax County public schools, including Graham Road Elementary School in Falls Church, will take part in the Community Eligibility Provision, which provides all of the students at those schools with free breakfasts and lunches daily.

At the other FCPS schools, household size and income will determine eligibility for the free or reduced meals program — approximately 38% of FCPS students qualify, according to FCPS.

Students from households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families may also be eligible. The program also caters to foster children and students who are homeless, migrant or runaway.

Households may apply for free or reduced-price meals at any time during the school year by filling out the applications, which will be distributed via mail and are also available at the principal’s office in each school.

FCPS will follow the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines in the chart below:

Earlier this year, Jackson Middle School and Graham Road and Timber Lane elementary schools joined 39 Fairfax County public schools in participating in the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program, a new after-school food program that provides free meals or snacks to any student.

Four Tysons-area elementary schools are joining 24 other ones in the county that have opened or plan to open a Real Food for Kids Salad Bar for the 2019-2020 school year.

The following schools plan to open the salad bars by:

• Sept. 18: Spring Hill (8201 Lewinsville Road)
• Feb. 12, 2020: Westbriar (1741 Pine Valley Drive)
• March 25, 2020: Haycock (6616 Haycock Road)
• May 20, 2020: Churchill Road (7100 Churchill Road)

FCPS wants to bring salad bars to all of its 141 elementary schools and has salad bars opening at about 30 schools per school year.

Second image via FCPS