Free lunch for all students at Royal

ROYAL CITY - For the second year, all students in the Royal School District will receive free lunches, the school board has decided.

According to Superintendent Rose Search, about 87 percent of students qualify for reduced or free lunches. She said the cost of administration for the remaining 13 percent is higher than the cost of providing lunch.

Search said the district must account for the cash collected at every meal and keep a paper trail for paying students. She said the district would need 1.5 additional clerical workers at about $41,000 per year. It costs less than that to provide the meals, she said.

- Staff report