Though naysayers may deny it, free lunches will be a little easier to get this year after the U.S. government increased the family income guidelines required to qualify for them.

The state Department of Education upped the annual family income limits for students to qualify for free and reduced-price lunch and breakfast in public schools. By expanding the income bracket, the government has allowed more people to be eligible for the National School Lunch Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the meal program at the federal level, adjusts income requirements each year based on economic conditions, said Gene Evans, spokesman for the state Department of Education. The department distributes those requirements at the state level.

”They are intended to benefit those children most in need and are revised annually,” said Terry Cashman, nutrition services supervisor for the Bend-La Pine School District.

This year, a family of four must make $26,000 annually for a student to receive a free meal and $37,000 to get a reduced-price meal at participating schools.

Last year, a family of four had to make $25,155 annually for a free lunch or $35,798 annually for a reduced-price meal.

To qualify for a free lunch, a family must have an income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level.

To get a reduced-price meal, a family must have an income at 130 percent to 185 percent of the federal poverty line or below, Cashman said.

Schools get a cash reimbursement from the government for each meal they serve.

Lunches at Bend-La Pine schools cost $1.75 at elementary schools and $2 at middle and high schools, Cashman said.

Meals include an entree, fruits and vegetables, and milk. Prices have gone up only once in the past 10 years, he said.

About 34 percent of Bend-La Pine students qualify for the National Lunch Program. About 70 percent of eligible students eat the reduced-cost meals on a daily basis, Cashman said.

Children in households that receive food stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations are also eligible for free meals. This month, households that get food stamps or the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families benefits will receive letters from their school saying they are eligible for free meal or milk benefits.

Families can apply for the program at any time during the year by filling out an application.

The process is completely confidential, Cashman said. Participating kids just go through the lunch line and say their name.

”We really are happy when families apply for free and reduced meals because a lot of times it makes schools eligible for additional sources of funding,” he said.

Schools can get ”Title I” funding – federal financial assistance for schools with high low-income populations – when at least 40 percent of students receive free or reduced-cost lunches.

”If they’re not worried about filling up their stomachs,” Cashman said, ”then they can focus on filling up their minds.”

More info

Eligible families can pick up an application for free and reduced-price lunches either at a participating school or at the Nutrition Services Office at 520 N.W. Wall St. For more information, call 383-6090.