Free meals provided to all Atlanta students in low-income areas
All students in 58 Atlanta Public Schools will receive free daily breakfasts, lunches and after-school snacks in the upcoming school year as part of a federal pilot program to feed low-income students.
The Community Eligibility Option program, included as part of a 2010 law, allows districts or schools to qualify if at least 40 percent of their students are eligible for free meals.
Atlanta Public Schools Nutrition Department Director Marilyn Hughes said the program will provide healthy meals and contribute to student success in high-need communities.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
