By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

PELHAM—The Pelham City School System announced its free and reduced-cost breakfast and lunch program for families who meet the school system’s income eligibility requirements.

“Every year we offer free and reduced meal applications,” PCS Child Nutrition Program Director Grace Perry said. “As a new system we had to start from scratch.”

Regularly priced lunch will cost $2.75 for Pelham High School and Riverchase Middle School students, and $2.50 for Valley Intermediate School and Valley Elementary School students. Breakfast will cost $1.25 for students at all four Pelham schools.

At all schools, children of families who qualify for reduced-cost meals will pay 40-cents for lunch and 30-cents for breakfast. Although, Perry also said no child will be denied a meal if they come to school without money.

“We never turn a child away,” Perry said, noting her priority is to “feed our kids.”

Applications for free or reduced-cost meals can be picked up at any of the school locations and they can also be found online at Pelhamcityschools.com, under the “Child Nutrition” page found in the “Departments” section. Perry encouraged parents to fill out an online application, as she said it is the “quickest process.”

According to a PCS news release, applications can be submitted at any time during the school year, and all information submitted in each application is confidential. Perry will review each application and determine eligibility.

A copy of the complete free and reduced-cost meal policy is available at each of the four Pelham City Schools locations and at Superintendent Dr. Scott Coefield’s office at Pelham City Hall.

“Our goal is to provide nutritious and wonderful meals for our students,” Perry said. “We will try to give them what they want to see and also give them something nutritious.”