Waitsburg secondary students pay for school meals next year due to budget cuts

WAITSBURG — Families of students in seventh through12th grades who do not qualify for the free/reduced meal program will be required to pay for school meals due to budget restraints.

The district’s Board of Directors decided at a June work session that it can no longer absorb meal costs for secondary school students who do not qualify for federal assistance.

The change does not affect elementary students. Preschool through sixth-grade meals will remain free, covered by state funding under Washington House Bill 1238.

The district lost targeted funding for secondary student meals at the start of the 2025–26 school year. District leaders temporarily covered the gap using local funds, allowing all students to eat for free last year. However, three-year financial projections showed the spending was unsustainable, prompting the board’s decision to return to paid meals for families who do not qualify for the federal free and reduced-price program.

District officials acknowledged the added financial stress the decision may cause families, noting the board did not make the change lightly.

Information regarding updated meal pricing, payment methods, and applications for the Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefit program will be distributed to families before the start of the school year. Families with questions can contact Food Services Director Stephanie Cole at 509-337-6461 or scole@waitsburgsd.org.

File photo of Waitsburg School District

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