WFISD announces policy for free and reduced-price meals
WFISD has distributed letters to households of children in the district. Applications are also available online at nlappscloud.com or at the Child Nutrition Office, 2015 Fifth St. Bldg. A in Wichita Falls.
Criteria for free and reduced-price meals is based on household income and whether a household receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
WFISD said in a press release it is working with local agencies to identify children who are eligible. Those contacted by the district will not need to complete an application. Any household is not contacted but feels it is qualified may email sgallentine@wfisd.net or call 940-235-1065 ext. 29003.
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This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: WFISD announces policy for free and reduced-price meals
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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
‘There definitely was a need': CPS, communities host back-to-school events to big crowds
Christy Bolden shepherded her four kids around the Piotrowski Park field on a toasty August afternoon. The retired nurse browsed booths offering school supplies, informational flyers and free food at a CPS 'Back-to-School Bash.' Tuesday's event, one of four held around the city, helped Bolden defray the costs of school supplies for her children, who attend Smyth Elementary School on the Near West Side and CICS Bucktown, she said. 'Things have just skyrocketed in price: the paper, the pencils, disinfecting wipes, everything they need,' Bolden said. 'I don't want them to go to school unprepared like some of the other kids.' Bolden and her kids are among the many Chicago families who flocked to back-to-school events in late July and early August that provided free supplies at a time when parents across the U.S. report struggling to afford educational materials. Several local events reported increased attendance compared with previous years. Educational book and supply costs in the average U.S. city have increased by about 1.3% from January to July, according to data maintained by the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank. Since July 2023, those prices have increased by more than 10%. Average weekly wages, in comparison, grew by 0.2% in Cook County in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Educational books and supplies are 9.4% more expensive compared with last year, according to Bankrate, affecting how parents, including those from CPS, are planning their spending. Adding to the pressure, more than 75% of CPS students in 2024 were considered low income compared with the overall state percentage of low-income students at 49.8%, per Illinois Report Card data. Students are considered low income by the state if they receive or live in households that receive aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or through Targeted Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. The state also designates low-income status to students classified as homeless, migrant, runaway, Head Start or foster children, or who live in a household receiving free or reduced-price meals. The back-to-school drives coincided with weeks of uncertainty for Chicago Public Schools students and their families, as the district tackles a $734 million budget shortfall, which has reduced lunch options, custodians and crossing guards. The higher price tags on school necessities, however, created an avenue for local groups and CPS to provide not only free supplies, but fun experiences for children gearing up for school. This was true for Calmetta Coleman, who found herself working a seemingly never-ending line for snow cones earlier this month at an event in Grand Boulevard hosted by the Chicago Urban League. This year's event eclipsed last year's, seeing nearly 1,000 attendees — more than double the number from 2024, said Coleman, who is chief operating officer of the nonprofit. Previously, the event had leftover backpacks afterward. This year, her team ran out after distributing 500. 'I was not expecting that,' Coleman said. 'The staff … kept saying, 'It's so many people, it's so many people.' But it was the whole parking lot, and you really couldn't see it when people were standing in line for snow cones.' Many people in the communities that the nonprofit serves are of low-to-moderate income and appreciate when financial pressures — like purchasing school supplies — can be alleviated with help. Coleman added that while there's always been a need, it might be greater this year because of higher prices. 'People are concerned about any number of things that are impacting their ability to be able to get the things that they need for their kids for back to school,' Coleman said. Over a third of surveyed parents cannot afford back-to-school shopping, while over half plan to sacrifice purchases like groceries to afford school supplies, according to a recent survey by Intuit Credit Karma. It's also prompted parents to start shopping for back-to-school necessities early. From 2024 to 2025, the proportion of families who started making school-related purchases in early July increased from 55% to 67%, according to data from the National Retail Federation. In part, they hope to spread the spending over several paychecks, the NRF found. Further, concerns about higher price tags due to tariffs have prompted 51% of families to shop earlier. These findings indicate potential uncertainty and concern parents and community members are feeling about prices, Illinois Retail Merchants Association President Rob Karr said. 'Nobody knows exactly what the prices are going to be, for example, a month from now, or what the supply will be, which I think is an indication of why they started shopping earlier,' Karr said. For several CPS families, the district's recent back-to-school bashes offered opportunities to ease those worries, pick up school supplies, and learn more about resources available to students. The events saw over 2,500 people attend, CPS Chief of Family and Community Engagement Fanny Diego Alvarez said. Justine Bartido also attended CPS' event at Piotrowski Park to pick up backpacks, writing utensils and notebooks. Her family also snagged science kits containing materials for at-home experiments students can try. The Back-to-School Bash ran out of the kits less than two hours into the event. 'The travel will be worth it for the supplies,' said Bartido, who lives in Lakeview. Bolden, the mother of four, learned about CPS' financial deficit at the Kids First Chicago Booth at Piotrowski Park, which she said was concerning. 'It's already hard to keep books in the schools — and the things that they need,' Bolden said. 'So we don't need to cut anything, or anyone … The classrooms are crowded.' If the funding cuts are severe enough, Bolden said she would consider homeschooling her children. Essyl Ghim, 39, also brought her son Bek Lee to grab school supplies at Piotrowski Park. Lee is entering second grade, and it was Ghim's first time at a back-to-school event. In addition to picking up supplies, Ghim's family is trying to rest up ahead of the school year's start. They also need to buy gifts for Lee's teacher and his classroom wish list, Ghim said. Lee said he's most excited to see his old kindergarten classmates and learn more about math. He has 'no idea' what he's doing to get ready to return to school — his mom is handling most of those preparations. 'And my dad,' he chirped. Like Bolden, Ghim is also worried about funding decreases that could affect CPS, she said, including cuts to free and reduced school lunches. 'I'm nervous,' she said. 'I don't know what to expect.' Parents and guardians echoed similar sentiments at the Aug. 7 event at Gately Park Stadium in Pullman. CPS parent Sofia Delgado has five children: four at school and an 11-month-old. Several of her children learn in classrooms with extra educational support, which she worries might evaporate this year. 'Just getting them what they need for school, I think that's important to me, and once they're in school, making sure they're safe, making sure that they have all the resources they need inside of school, especially because I have one that's special needs and two in blended programs, so technically, special needs as well,' Delgado said. Her four children in school picked up backpacks for the school year at the event. For Kimber Brown and her two children attending Ashburn Community Elementary School, the event's draw was free physicals and vaccinations. Brown's daughter, Kallie, is starting kindergarten and needed a health exam. 'That's why we came here, and (CPS) said that supplies and stuff was given out, so anything for free, we'll take,' Brown said. Brown's other two children, in prekindergarten and day care, also received backpacks and school supplies. This year's back-to-school events are more centralized compared with previous years, interim CPS CEO Macquline King said, which makes it easier for other government agencies and community groups to converge. Individual schools provided more of these opportunities in the past, she said. One of King's goals with the bashes was to 'build certainty' for parents, she said. While these events aren't meant to address concerns about CPS funding and staff cuts, King said they are showing families what resources are available. 'The services they receive, it's a value to me,' King said. 'It's a value to the district as a whole. We want to make sure that they know that everything they need, Chicago Public Schools is going to provide.' Other families are finding free supplies and services at events hosted by community organizations, like churches and nonprofits. Greater Mountain of Hope Ministries near West Englewood hosted one of these events on Aug. 2 and saw their best turnout ever while providing over 200 free bookbags and haircuts, according to pastor Eric Newson Sr. 'We can feel the appreciation and the gratitude from them,' he said, 'because there definitely was a need.' A few days later, Beegr8t Organization, a community-based children's programming nonprofit, supported the Brainerd-Washington Heights community through a recent school supplies giveaway to provide students a 'strong start' to the school year, founder Tanika Hinton said. The organization gave away free clothing, shoes, books and backpacks to children and placed leftover supplies on a table outside their building for passersby to take as needed. 'We don't want school supplies, backpacks, to be a barrier. We want to set them up for success,' Hinton said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
It's a 'typical first day of school' as Treasure Coast students begin new school year
(This story was updated to add a gallery and videos.) Children carrying bright new backpacks giggled and smiled as they entered their new classrooms Aug. 11. Treasure Coast public schools opened their doors to greet children after the summer break. From school superintendents waving to bus drivers as they headed out on their early-morning routes to educators forming a tunnel for children to get excited about the new school year, the day went smoothly, officials said. 'It was a really impressive first day,' said Kyra Schafte, Indian River County School District spokesperson. 'The day progressed well and teachers really focused on instruction.' Martin and St. Lucie officials echoed the sentiment, saying there were no major issues. "We had a good first day," said St. Lucie County schools spokesperson Lydia Martin. Law enforcement officials across the Treasure Coast reported no problems on the roads, and specifically around schools' drop-off lines on the first day of school. 'It was just a typical first day of school,' said Indian River County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Capt. Joe Abollo. 'Everybody was where they needed to be.' It was an assessment share by police and sheriff's officials across the region as the 2025-2026 school year began. Indian River students all smiles heading to class Some 500 grinning students filled the cafeteria at Dodgertown Elementary in Vero Beach on the first day to share breakfast, regroup with friends and get taken to new classrooms by their teachers. Between bites of strawberry Pop-Tarts and sips of chocolate milk, they hugged friends while teachers corralled them, eager to start the new year. Third graders Paris White, Benito Sanchez and Justin Alvarado-Blanco, all 10, high-fived after missing each other all summer. Paris spent the summer playing Roblox, Benito traveled to Georgia and Justin spent time at the pool. 'I'm happy to be back and see my friends,' explained Paris. 'It's cool to learn with them again.' Students congregated in the cafeteria before class so teachers could collect them before instruction began at 8:50 a.m., explained third-year Principal Felice Bagley. 'A lot of planning goes into what we do here,' said Bagley. 'We not only want to help teachers gather students, but to provide students with the most important meal of the day and let them get acclimated with the day.' Bagley expects all the kinks to be worked out by the second day. 'The controlled chaos will die down, and by tomorrow we'll be a well-oiled machine," she said. St. Lucie County schools welcome students In St. Lucie County, cheers, high-fives and homemade signs greeted the line of parents and students walking through the school gates for the first time since May, as the school district held its annual Tunnel of Hope. The tunnel — comprising teachers, school district staff and public-safety officials from the police departments, Sheriff's Office and Fire District — is a tradition that moves to a different school campus each year for the first day of school. This year was the turn of Northport K-8 in Port St. Lucie. 'Our schools are the place to be. Your kids are going to be safe and they're going to get a great education and they are going to be around happy people," Superintendent Jon Prince said while holding a handwritten 'YOU CAN DO IT' sign at the Tunnel of Hope. "The most important thing is for kids to enjoy their school experience.' And it seemed like students were ready to do just that. They said they were excited to return to campus and to see friends and teachers again. Franklin Shaffer, a 6-year-old who spent the summer visiting Walt Disney World and SeaWorld, said he was excited for science class. Franklin's mom, Tiffany, said she would miss having him at the house while she works from home. 'I'm sad. It was really nice having him home over the summer. It's bittersweet,' Tiffany Shaffer said. Noah Juscal, 6, who spent the break at summer camp, said he was excited to see his favorite teacher, Mrs. Lawrence, again. His sister, 5-year-old Gabriella, was looking forward to starting kindergarten. The first day was going smoothly so far, said Prince, who started his morning bringing donuts and coffee to the drivers at the bus compound. From there, Prince visited the district's newest school, Legacy High School, for its first first day of school. Then came the Tunnel of Hope. 'No issues so far, but I'm sure there are issues. I just don't know about it yet,' Prince said with a laugh. Common first-day concerns include students learning their bus routes and getting on and off safely and at the right stops. Prince encouraged parents to download the Here Comes the Bus app to track their children when using the buses. Martin County students excited to see friends By 9:30 a.m., Martin County school Superintendent Michael Maine already had been to five schools. 'Everything's running smooth,' he reported just after the bell rang at Murray Middle School in Port Salerno, where tornados damaged at least two buildings last year during Hurricane Milton. By the end of the day, 18,500 meals had been served to students; and about 58 buses had been on the road, spokesperson Derek Lowe said. Martin County schools this year received an A grade from the state for the first time in seven years, which makes Maine 'incredibly proud,' he said. Murray Middle received a B. But six schools received Cs, which Maine called "unacceptable.' Teachers there will be focusing on individualized instruction to bring those grades up. That includes enriching students who are achieving at a high level and working specifically with students who are behind, he said. 'The goal for me is to always ensure our students are getting the best education,' said Murray Middle School Principal Tiffany Roth. She wants to be sure students grow as much as they can while at Murray, she said. Damage is still visible on the Ag Building, where half of the roof was torn off, and on the building where band, chorus and media center were. Milton tore off 90% of that building's roof. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provided two portables, which now house band and chorus classes. The district hopes $30 million in repairs can begin in fall 2026 and be completed in 2028, Lowe said. Inside Room 115, Murray Middle seventh-grade math teacher Stevie Clarke was orienting her students to their schedules and the way to transition between classes. On the wall of Clarke's classroom, a banner in a rainbow of colors sent a message for the new school year: 'Striving for Excellence.' Back to school: K-12 students keep the cellphones off and unnoticeable or risk detention Is your child's bus running late? Need to know school holidays? There's an app for that Like across the Treasure Coast, morning drop-offs at Felix A. Williams Elementary in Stuart appeared to go smoothly on the first day of school, with parents and children in cars and SUVs turning in off Baker Road from both directions and waiting only briefly until their kids could hop out. Adelyn, 10, a fifth-grader at Felix A. Williams, was most excited about 'seeing her friends again, meeting her teacher and having a great year, explained her mom, Jennifer Korber of Stuart. For Kade Guppy, 8, the first day was the first time at Felix A. Williams after moving to the area. He was 'excited to meet new friends,' said his mom, Kait Guppy. Staff writers Corey Arwood, Keith Burbank, Olivia Franklin, Will Greenlee , Wicker Perlis , Jack Randall and Nick Slater contributed to this report. Colleen Wixon is the education reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: School year begins for Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie students Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Yahoo
Kansas DCF resists USDA request for release of personal information related to SNAP program participants
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansas officials are pushing back against federal officials who are demanding the release of personal information for those participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) said in a press release that it sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on July 30. The state agency's letter denies the USDA's demand for the release of personal details related to SNAP applicants, recipients and members of their households. 'DCF is committed to the security of Kansans' personal information and maintaining confidentiality consistent with state and federal law,' said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. 'This demand for personal information goes beyond the scope of administering the program and puts in jeopardy the privacy of hundreds of thousands of Kansans who depend on SNAP to put food on their tables.' Mass layoffs planned in Manhattan with sports apparel facility closure The DCF reports that requested information includes sensitive personal information for any Kansan who lived in a household that applied for and/or received SNAP benefits from Jan. 1, 2020 through to July 30, 2025. The USDA request asks for social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses and names. The USDA previously issued a letter on July 25 to state agency directors stating they must be compliant with the requirement to send this information to the USDA's Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) by the July 30, 2025 deadline. The USDA is requesting the information to create a federal database of SNAP participant information that can be disclosed to other federal, state and local agencies, according to the DCF. Federal and state law requires the DCF to protect personal SNAP information except under certain, strict, circumstances when it is necessary for the administration of the SNAP program. The DCF said it will monitor pending litigation on this issue and continue to administer and enforce SNAP in accordance with both state and federal law. You can read through the full DCF letter issued on July 30 below: DCF Letter to USDA – July 30, 2025 by Matthew Self on Scribd Mountain lion sightings rise in Kansas, here's where they've been spotted For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
