In June, Nevada governor, Joe Lombardo, vetoed the Universal School Meals Bill, which means Nevada K-12 students don't automatically get free meals like they did during the pandemic.
In Washoe County, 68 schools already provide meals to all students, but families at the remaining 35 schools will need to apply for those benefits to see if they qualify.
Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, is a meal service option for schools in low-income areas that provides free meals to all students.
Those students at the remaining 35 schools that aren't in low-income areas will have to apply for free meals.
If students are accepted or not is based on household income.
Searcy says that over the last several years the district has been able to develop a savings account of about $160,000 to pay for an extension of free school meals for the first four weeks of school.
This is to give families time to get the application turned in.
This fund also is used for food worker salaries and cafeteria improvements.
