Free & Reduced Price School Meals
Federal School Nutrition Programs
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.
About 7.1 million children participated in the NSLP in its first year. Since then, the program has reached millions of children nationwide: 1970: 22.4 million children; 1980: 26.6 million children; 1990: 21.1 million children; 2000: 27.3 million children; 2010: 31.8 million children; and 2016: 30.4 million children. In the fiscal year 2019, schools served over 4.8 billion lunches to children nationwide.
The School Breakfast Program (SBP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and non-profit private schools and residential childcare institutions. The SBP started in 1966 as a pilot project, and was made a permanent entitlement program by Congress in 1975.
Participation in the SBP has slowly but steadily grown over the years: 1970: 0.5 million children; 1980: 3.6 million children; 1990: 4.0 million children; 2000: 7.5 million children; 2010: 11.67 million children; and 2016: 14.57 million children.
For more information, check out the School Breakfast Program Fact Sheet and the School Lunch Program Fact Sheet.
Children can be enrolled in the school lunch program by submitting information about their total household incomes online at https://www.schoolcafe.com/ or by downloading and filling out a simple application (see attachment below). Details on free/reduced meals, answers to frequently asked questions, instructions for applying, and a paper application can be found at the links below.
Knoch FCCLA Angel Fund
Additionally, at Knoch we are lucky to offer the FCCLA Angel Fund. Because families sometimes face unforeseen crises that make paying for food a struggle, the Knoch High School Family Careers and Community Leaders of America organization established a fund to support such students who do not meet the criteria for Free and Reduced Lunches, but whose families have a short-term need for assistance. Donations to this fund are welcome. Checks can be made to Knoch High School with FCCLA Angel Fund in the memo line and mailed to Knoch High School, FCCLA, 345 Knoch Road, Saxonburg, PA 16056.
Additionally, at Knoch we are lucky to offer the FCCLA Angel Fund. Because families sometimes face unforeseen crises that make paying for food a struggle, the Knoch High School Family Careers and Community Leaders of America organization established a fund to support such students who do not meet the criteria for Free and Reduced Lunches, but whose families have a short-term need for assistance. Donations to this fund are welcome. Checks can be made to Knoch High School with FCCLA Angel Fund in the memo line and mailed to Knoch High School, FCCLA, 345 Knoch Road, Saxonburg, PA 16056.