by Kate Shunney
A federal program that weighs community poverty levels to determine free and reduced lunch will allow all Hancock public school students to receive free breakfast and lunch, starting this school year. 
School starts on Monday, August 25.
Students at Hancock Middle-Senior High School and Hancock Elementary will be able to grab morning and lunch meals at no cost without applying for free or reduced meals for the school year. The schools have both been added to a list of 26 participating Community Eligibility Provision schools in the county.
Hancock principal Jennifer Ruppenthal noted that the meal program does not include snack or a la cart items, which have to be purchased separately by students.
School officials said some families may still need to complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application if their student attends the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts or Boyd J. Michael III Technical High School as neither are Community Eligibility Provision schools.
The Community Eligibility Provision is a program of the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
