04-08-2025
How SNAP federal funding cuts could change free lunch at Knox County Schools
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law July 4, 2025, paving the way for sweeping federal budget cuts, including to SNAP, commonly known as food stamps. As a result, free and reduced-price school lunches could become more difficult for families to access.
Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will amount to around $300 billion through 2034, according to the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. As of June, 34,268 people in Knox County rely on the program for a regular stipend to use for groceries, according to Tennessee Department of Human Services data.
SNAP is a way kids get access to free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program.
SNAP is part of why 63 Knox County schools can offer every student free breakfast and lunch
During the 2025-26 academic year, every student at 63 Knox County schools can receive free breakfast and lunch through the Community Eligibility Provision, which gives all students at a designated school two free meals regardless of family income and without collecting individual applications.
The provision uses data from federal benefit programs, including SNAP, to determine the rate of students already receiving assistance.
For a school to qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision, at least 25% of students have receive government assistance by April 1 of the prior school year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the National School Lunch Program.
With fewer families receiving SNAP benefits, the number of schools that provide meals through the Community Eligibility Provision could drop next school year along with the identified student percentage.
If a school were no longer covered through the Community Eligibility Provision, some students would continue to qualify individually for free and reduced-price lunch, but the benefit would not be extended to all.
How to apply for free school lunch in Knox County
If you child's school doesn't automatically offer free meals, families can apply for help.
"Free and reduced meal applications will be available all school year, based on the information we have currently," Knox County School spokesperson Carly Harrington told Knox News.
Families can submit a an application anytime during the school year to see if they qualify. Applications should be submitted annually, and only one application is needed for all students in a household.
Other ways children in Knox County can receive food
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee's Food for Kids program helps to fill the weekend gap when children can't get meals at school. Every Friday, students are given a bag filled with foods that are easy to access and prepare.
Teachers at individual schools help identify students who could benefit from Food for Kids, which operates around the region, including in 76 Knox County Schools facilities for the 2025-26 school year, Second Harvest's chief marketing officer Michael Torano told Knox News in an email.
Hayden Dunbar is the storyteller reporter. Email
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: SNAP funding cuts could mean fewer Knox County students get free lunch
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