LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Clark County School District is again rolling out free breakfast and lunch for all students.
“My high schooler and eighth grader love school lunch, so they just choose to do that themselves.”
School meals are a hit with Anna Binder’s children who all attend schools across CCSD. Through the program, her younger autistic son is learning to build social skills.
“It’s taught him waiting, like waiting in line and choosing, having choices,” she said.
Choices CCSD food services will be expanding for the new school year. Most notably, bringing back the salad bar for the first time since the pandemic to hopefully reinforce healthy eating habits for students.
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“Students will be more likely to eat the fruits and vegetables and getting them to eat them is really important,” said Jake Yarberry, a CCSD dietitian.
All meals will be available free of charge to CCSD students. The district will provide free meals through the end of the 2025 school year funded by federal nutrition programs. District food services officials say keeping students fed helps them concentrate in the classroom.
“Breakfast has been shown to improve academic levels. It’s been shown to help with behavioral issues,” Yarberry said.
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CCSD has also navigated supply chain challenges to ensure meals are still provided.
“They have some buying power and we’ve had some great vendors we’ve been working with,” he said.
Binder says the free meals provide a huge help for families like hers and she would like to see this benefit continue indefinitely.
“Maybe next year, advocating a little more to our senators and congress people to keep funding the program,” she said.
Food service officials also say they are staffed to meet the district’s commitment that no student goes hungry.
