ROCHELLE — As Rochelle area students are heading back to school, parents in District 231 will have one less item on their checklist — paying for school breakfasts and lunches.

Through the Community Eligibility Provision, which is part of the school nutrition lunch program, all students in the district will get their school meals at no charge this year.

The provision is a relatively new and does not require any forms to be filled out. All students in the district will receive a free breakfast and lunch. If your child packs a cold lunch they will need to bring a quarter for milk.

Supt. Todd Prusator explained not only will students have free breakfast and lunch, it also has an added benefit.

“We’re anticipating that we may have more participation in our program… while it’s open to all students in the district, it really saves on administration not having to worry about who qualifies and who doesn’t qualify and then tracking money coming in,” Prusator said.

Because it is a new program, Prusator said district officials would need to evaluate the reimbursement process from the Federal government throughout the year. If the program is deemed successful, an application is necessary to remain in the program for the following school year.

“We will be seeing what we are being reimbursed and what our costs are to make sure that we are breaking even as we’ve been doing through the old process,” Prusator said.

Parents should be advised that the process for waiving tuition fees still requires a form to be filled out. Please inquire with the district.

“We think the provision is going to be a big benefit. Not only is it going to save logistical things on our end to keep track of, but it is also for parents not having to worry about sending their lunch money,” Prusator added.