In the 2022-23 school years, universal school meal waivers were no longer available, having ended — much to the consternation of child hunger advocates — in fall 2022 as the pandemic waned. Although operational flexibilities were available to address other challenges such as labor shortages and supply chain disruptions, three-quarters of the 91 districts polled said they did not use any waivers as of October 2022.
By then, most districts had to return to the old eligibility system that required families to apply for free and reduced-price meals. As a result, FRAC said, millions of children lost access to free school meals.
