The Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT) and the county’s Special Services School District will continue to offer eligible students free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches regardless of how long the federal government shutdown lasts.
Assemblywoman Andrea Katz recently sent a letter to the combined BCIT/Special Services School District board of education that advocated for meals to continue uninterrupted. County commissioners announced the free meals guarantee after a resolution was passed affirming the promise of continued meals even if the shutdown results in an interruption or delay in federal reimbursement.
The resolution authorizes the business administrators for both school districts to allocate sufficient funding to pay for program costs through the remainder of the 2025-’26 school year, if necessary.
There is a significant need for food assistance in Burlington County. About 1,050 students at BCIT and another 250 enrolled in the Special Services School District are currently eligible to receive free or reduced meals, according to the school district. More than 24,000 county residents currently receive those benefits.
“I am writing to ensure that the Burlington County Special Services School District, as well as the Burlington County Institute of Technology, has a plan in place to continue providing free and reduced-price lunches for all eligible students in light of the current government shutdown and the USDA suspension of SNAP benefits beginning Nov. 1,” Katz wrote in her letter.
“No student should experience a lapse in access to meals.”
Katz said she hopes additional school districts will follow the lead of the combined BCIT/Special Services School District.
“Thousands of Burlington County families will soon be without SNAP benefits, and there are concerns that many of those same families could be impacted by an interruption in free school meals,” she said. “Families need to know that they can continue to rely on school lunches and breakfasts …”
BCIT/Special Services School District board of ed president Odise Carr said the board’s action reflects the school district’s commitment to students and their families.
“Putting our students first is what we’re about,” Carr said. “Our kids should never have to worry about where their next meal will come from, especially while at school.”
