Every NYC Kid Can Get Free Lunches At School This Year, City Says

CITY HALL, NY — Every single public school student in New York City will be able to get free lunches starting this year, city officials announced on Wednesday.

It means an extra 200,000 kids can be fed for free, according to the city's Department of Education. The expanded free lunch program will begin when classes re-start on Thursday, Sept. 7 and includes all public schools, plus some charter and private schools that participate in the city's school nutrition program.

In the last school year, 75 percent of NYC students were eligible for free lunches. City officials said in a statement that the number of families in poverty has not increased.

The city will be reimbursed for the food through a federal program known as the Community Eligibility Provision, which pays for districts to provide students with free breakfast and lunch.

Watch: Lunch Money Is A Thing Of The Past At Many NYC Schools

New York City schools already serve free breakfast to all students. For more information about schools and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.

Advocates have long argued that a universal free lunch will keep kids from going hungry by helping to remove the stigma that poor students may feel when accepting a meal free of charge. Experts say that many NYC public school students who qualified for free lunches sometimes choose to skip the meal because they don't want to be seen as poor.

The city's school chancellor Carmen Fariña, City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and public advocate Tish James announced the new program at a press conference on Wednesday. Tish James has been among the most vocal advocates for a universal free lunch program, and has called on Mayor Bill de Blasio to expand it for years.

In 2015, James said she was "shocked and disappointed" at de Blasio's refusal to include universal free lunches in the city's budget that year.

"We've been pushing for universal school lunch for years and to see it come to fruition is exciting for our children, families and educators," James said Wednesday.

"As we begin a new school year, this initiative will ensure that every child has access to free, nutritious lunch. I thank Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Fariña for funding universal school lunch so every student has an opportunity to succeed."

This story has been updated.

Image credit: Mary Esch / Associated Press