Many students at UC High participate in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program, which, according to a website about food and nutrition, is a service provided for students based on their family’s income and the number of household members reliant on it (squaremeals.org). Recently, UC High lost its Title One status; with loss of status comes loss of much needed funding for the school. This event links back to the number of students who actively applied and qualified for the program — something that not all qualifying students have done. Students should apply for Free and Reduced Lunch for the benefit of their health, education and financial situations.

   The Free and Reduced Lunch program benefits the school. According to Principal Jeff Olivero, in order to benefit from funding, a school must have 40 percent of its overall students qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch. “Last year UC High had 39 percent of students qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, so we [UC High] were grandfathered in as a Title One school in hopes that we would reach the minimum 40 percent again,” said Olivero. “This year the percentage dropped to 38 and UC High lost its position as a Title One school.” According to the US Department of Education, being a Title One school means that money is provided to schools based on high percentages of students from low-income backgrounds attending said school (2.ed.gov). Food Services Supervisor Christopher Schnese said that the office knows the percent is higher because a large number of students did not turn in an application. Kids and their parents are simply not signing up, which creates problems for both students and the school.

   For whatever the reason may be, not all eligible students have applied, meaning UC High is losing a large amount of money. Olivero made clear that a little over 51,000 dollars will be missing from school funds next year due to the loss of the Title One sponsorship. According to Olivero, gaps are already seen in the budget as the school plans for next year. Money could potentially be pulled out of pathways and electives to make up for empty space; or there may even be cut backs on school supplies — and with UC High’s “paper crisis”, how could the school ration any further?

   One method some schools use to increase their numbers is having every student in the school apply. Social Studies Teacher Dustin Milsap, from El Capitan High in Lakeside, explained that their entire district is Title One and their Social Studies department takes charge of a Free and Reduced Lunch “drive” every year at El Cap. They make filling out the paperwork a requirement for all students and students are given credit in their Social Studies classes for doing so. This helps make sure that almost every student who qualifies gets signed up, he explained.

   However, students may fear the social stigma of qualifying for Free and Reduced Lunch. University City is considered a more “well off” or “comfortable” community of San Diego, so qualifying is either not worth the time for some kids or embarrassing. In reality, despite the fact that UC High does not currently qualify as being Title One, there is still a high number of students participating in the program. Also, when you type your pin into the register, no one knows whether or not the lunch is free. Not only that, but qualifying for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program also means waivers (reductions) on the expensive SAT and AP exams. Senior Litzy Torres stated that having those waivers helped her family out with costs on the SAT.

   Dear UC High students, we, the Editorial Staff urge you to apply for free and reduced lunch– even if you and your parents are unsure if you would qualify. It’s important to your education, your peers’ education, your teachers, staff and the school as a whole. Have questions on how to apply? Scurry on down to the Office.