VOORHEESVILLE — The Voorheesville Central School District has seen a dramatic rise in the number of students receiving breakfast or lunch from the district. 

The meals are free as part of the New York State Universal School Meals program, enacted by the state in this year’s budget and whose central tenet is that participating schools serve both breakfast and lunch to students at no cost.

“This is important because this has been something that I think we’ve discussed: How do we get more breakfast in students’ hands,” Superintendent Frank Macri said during an Oct. 6 audit committee meeting.

At Voorheesville Elementary during the month of September, the total number of breakfasts served increased from 261 this time last year to 863 this year, according to data from the district, while elementary school student participation in breakfast went from 2.52 percent to 9.28 percent over the same period. 

Voorheesville Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 517 students. 

The total number of lunches served at the elementary school went from 3,370 during September of the 2024-25 school year to 4,084 in September of this year, as the student participation rate increased from 32.52 percent to 43.89 percent. 

At the middle- and high-school campus, the number of breakfasts served this September increased by 1,625 over last year, from 271 to 1,896; the number of lunches served increased from 4,450 to 6,737. 

Middle- and high-school student participation in breakfast went from 2.07 percent of the populace to 15.53 percent, while lunch increased from 33.65 percent to 54.52 percent. 

All public school districts, charter schools, and private schools that participate in the federal National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program are required to “serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to the student,” per the program’s enacting legislation.

Formerly only income-eligible students could get free meals.

The $340 million program could save a family as much as $1,980 per year per child, according to one estimate.