The Santa Clarita Valley School Food Services Agency has announced that all students will be served lunch and breakfast at no charge as part of California’s Universal Feeding. Each school and/or the central office will have a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party.

The SCV School Food Services Agency serves all schools in the Castaic, Newhall, Saugus and Sulphur Springs school districts.

This is an amendment to the agency’s policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch/School Breakfast Programs for the 2022–2023 school year.

On July 9, 2021, California State Assembly Bill (AB) 130 (McGuire) Education finance education omnibus budget trailer bill was signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Beginning in the 2022–23 school year AB 130 establishes a California Universal Meals Program.

Starting this year, all school children will be eligible for free breakfast and lunch, no matter their family’s income level.

California has become the first state to implement a statewide Universal Meals Program for school children. California’s Universal Meals Program is designed to build on the foundations of the federal National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. There are three key pillars that have been established to ensure that the program is a success:

Pillar One: California’s State Meal Mandate is expanded to include both a nutritiously adequate breakfast and lunch for, not just needy children, but all children each school day.

Pillar Two: High poverty schools will be required to participate in a federal provision.

Pillar Three: The California State Legislature allocates funds to provide additional state meal reimbursement to cover the cost of the Universal Meals Program.

Although meals are free of charge, families are encouraged to submit a meal application. The information collected on the meal application ensures our schools receive adequate funding.

Parents and children do not have to be U.S. citizens to qualify for free meals. If there are more household members than the number of lines on the application, attach a second application.

Contact your child’s school to fill out an application.