Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, all students
attending Arkansas public schools that administer the National School Lunch
Program and School Breakfast Program will be eligible to receive one breakfast
at no cost each school day, regardless of their eligibility for free or
reduced-price meals. A no-cost breakfast must be made available to every
student each day school is in session. The Arkansas Department of Education
(ADE) will use state funds to cover the cost of breakfast for students eligible
for reduced-price or paid meals, as well as the cost of reduced-price lunches.
Federal reimbursement funds for free, reduced and paid
meals will continue to be sent to districts each month, based on how many meals
are reported for reimbursement. State funds will be sent separately to the
district, also based on the number of meals listed on the reimbursement claim.
State funds will include extra money (called a co-pay)
for reduced-price meals. The state will give $0.30 for each reduced-price
breakfast and $0.40 for each reduced-price lunch.
State funds will also cover the cost of breakfast for
students whose meals are claimed at the paid rate. This state co-pay is the difference between
what the federal government pays for a free breakfast (at the non-severe need
rate) and what it pays for a paid breakfast. This amount is calculated once a
year based on the official federal rates.
Federal
Free Reimbursement (Non-Severe Need Rate)
− Federal Paid Reimbursement
= State Breakfast Co-Pay for Paid Meals Claimed
The eFinance
revenue code set up for all state funded co-pays of reduced meals and paid
breakfast will be 32540.
Determining officials must annually process meal
applications based on the federal income guidelines and claim each student
based on their assigned meal eligibility for breakfast and lunch.
Implementation is considered an emergency to allow
adequate time for planning and funding allocations prior to the 2025-2026
school year. Public schools should begin preparing now to ensure compliance.
If you have questions, please contact the Child Nutrition Unit at
501-324-9502.