For the past two years, a system of waivers through the United States Department of Agriculture, boosted by additional federal funding, allowed public schools, including in Lexington County, to offer universal free meals to students.

But those waivers, enacted in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the economic security of many across the nation, expired at the end of June. Now, local school districts are figuring out what to do next.

For the two largest school districts included wholly within Lexington County, the move in the near term is to go back to a need-based application system.

Lexington County School District 1 opened online applications at family.titank12.com for its free and reduced meals program on July 19.

“Lexington District One encourages families to complete the online free and reduced-priced meal application, as it’s more efficient and expedites processing,” Chief Communications Officer Kathryn McPhail told the Chronicle. “Families may use their student’s school-issued device to complete the form, or they can call their student’s school to set up a time to use a computer at the school to complete the form online. However, a paper application is available at each school, if needed.”

District 1 families are encouraged to complete the application as soon as possible if they wish to ensure their student is able to access the free meals when school starts in August.

Lexington County School District 2 is accepting online applications at paypams.com/onlineapp. Those without a computer are encouraged to contact their schools to apply.

According to Rion Skinner, general manager for Sodexo, the food services provider for Lexington 2, 60.81% of students in the district qualified for free and reduced-price meals before the pandemic began.

According to the state Department of Education, the student population in April 2020 was 8,990. It was 8,525 as of the most recent available student headcount from last year.

“Lexington Two Food Services has always performed well,” she said. “However, not having free meals does create a hardship for parents who are struggling with the increased costs for living expenses. We continue to encourage families to complete the free and reduced meal application annually, to see if they qualify for benefits. Lexington Two Food Services also participates in additional programs to help bridge the hunger gap, like the Afterschool Snack Program and CACFP Dinner program, which are provided at no cost to students.”

According to McPhail, in the fall of 2019, 34% of Lexington 1 students qualified for free or reduced-price meals. At that time, about 27,430 students attended district schools, she said.

“In fall 2019, 7,835 students qualified for free meals, and 1,204 for reduced-priced meals,” McPhail reported. “By spring 2020, that number had risen to 8,425 students receiving free meals and 1,232 students receiving reduced-priced meals.”

Lexington 1’s student population as of the latest headcount available from the state Department of Education was 27,672.

McPhail said the district is looking into other meal support options with federal funding returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Skinner said Lexington 2 is doing the same. She also advocated for the pandemic practice to become the norm.

“We support and advocate for universal free meals,” she said. “Lexington Two Food Services actively participates in every opportunity we can to provide additional nutrition resources — for example, the Summer Food Service Program. We evaluate annually to see if the district qualifies for participation in the Community Eligibility Provision, which would allow qualifying schools to offer free breakfast and lunch. We are in the process of exploring that idea for schools that meet the criteria.”

At least one county school district will continue to offer universal free meals this coming school year.

Lexington County School District 3, which oversees schools in Batesburg-Leesville, announced last week that all of its students will get no-cost meals for 2022-23 through the Community Eligibility Provision, a federal program that assists schools in low-income areas with food service.

According to the most recent available student headcount available from the state department of education, the district’s student population is 2,022.

“I am excited about the CEP program in Lexington Three and am sure that it will prove to be invaluable to families that are facing new or increased financial strain caused by the recent pandemic,” Todd Bedenbaugh, Lexington 3’s director of child nutrition and school security, is quoted in a release. “By eliminating the need for parents to pay for school meals, that frees up resources that can then be used on other critical expenses such as rent, utilities and medicines, thus contributing to the overall well-being of our Panther families.”