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NATCHEZ —Natchez Adams School District may no longer offer free breakfast and lunch for all students this year.

The district has had free breakfasts and lunches provided to 100 percent of its students every year since 2014.

Natchez Adams School District Superintendent Zandra McDonald said the change is a result of the rise in the average income of people who live in Adams County.

As of the 2020 Decennial Census, the median household income in Adams County was around $40,250, compared to a median household income of $38,068 in 2010.

In the 2024-2025 school year, NASD participated in “Provision 2” of the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, meaning that all 2,158 students enrolled in the district received breakfast and lunch at no cost, regardless of family income, with the understanding that each child must complete a meal application at the beginning of the school year.

In the upcoming school year, however, McDonald said families must complete applications for their children to determine if the students are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunches and breakfasts based on their household income. Students in households that fall below certain income levels will qualify for reduced-cost or free meals.

Reduced breakfast costs 30 cents per meal and reduced lunch costs 40 cents. Full-priced breakfast costs $2.50 and full-priced lunch costs $4, McDonald said.

The benchmarks for the 2025-2026 school year start at $15,650 for a single-person household, adding an additional $5,500 per household member. The maximum gross income to receive free meals starts at $20,345 for a single-person household, adding $7,150 for each additional household member, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.

Reduced price meal requirements start at $28,953 annual gross income for a single-person household, adding $10,175 for each additional household member.

The numbers are revised each year to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index.

Visit fns.usda.gov/schoolmeals/income-eligibility-guidelines to learn more.