Family income not a factor as public school students eat for free in Boston, other cities

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In this Sept. 4, 2013 photo students at the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School in Boston\'s Roxbury neighborhood pick up free lunches consisting of a sandwich with meat, a vegetable dish, a piece of fruit, and milk. Boston Public Schools officials say 76 percent of students already qualified for free or reduced price meals, and this program to provide all students with free breakfast and lunch will cut down on district paperwork and expenses. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BOSTON – Lunchboxes may become a more unusual sight in public schools because of a federal program that’s providing students in some areas with free breakfast and lunch.

Federal officials say more than 40 per cent of students have to be getting food stamps or aid through other federal assistance programs for a school to qualify for the program.

Boston Public Schools officials say 76 per cent of students already qualified for free or reduced price meals, and this program to provide all students with free breakfast and lunch will cut down on district paperwork and expenses.

School principal Efrain Toledano says he expects the program to prevent disruptions that can happen because students are hungry.

It’s part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and has spread to 10 states and the District of Columbia.

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