Some say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but in the Vicksburg Warren School District, all students can eat at no cost.

The no charge breakfast and lunch community eligibility program is expanding to include all students pre-K to seniors in high school who are enrolled in the public school system.

“We are excited to be able to provide healthy meals to all of our students this year,” child nutrition director Laura Bounds said. “Everyone at VWSD is committed to preparing our children for great futures, but you can’t teach a hungry child. We must fuel their minds and bodies so that they are able to learn every day.”

In previous school years the program concluded in eight grade, but because of a rise in the direct certified percentage of students that qualify for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, now all students can take advantage of having two daily meals to eat at no cost. For community eligibility, at least 60 percent of the students in the district must live in homes that receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and in the VWSD 89.75 percent of students qualify.

“No matter what’s going on at home or in their social life, they know that they are going to get a hot breakfast and a hot lunch,” Bounds said.

There is no application process, and every student will be able to access the no cost meals.

“This is great for our students, our district and our community. I am proud of Ms. Bounds and her staff. They doggedly pursued the expansion of this program knowing that it would go a long way to support our students and our education goals,” superintendent Chad Shealy said.

For each meal eaten by a student, the school district will be reimbursed for the cost with federal money.

“All that money goes back into our program,” Bounds said.

Bounds encourages all students to take advantage of the no cost meals because if they don’t, the program could go away.

“If we want to keep this program, we’re going to have to participate in it,” Bounds said.

Additional nutritious food options will be available for purchase in the cafeterias.

“The most expensive thing that we have on the extra sell item menu is $1.25,” Bounds said.

The program starts on the first day of school with both breakfast and lunch being served to all students.

“We in the child nutrition department, we fuel the minds and the bodies of every Vicksburg Warren School District student, and if they don’t have a well-balanced healthy breakfast and lunch then we’re not setting them up for success,” Bounds said.