COLORADO, USA — The Colorado Department of Education said Tuesday school districts can use Medicaid enrollment data to qualify students for free and reduced-price meals, helping to fill a gap created by the state's new universal free lunch program.
Measure FF, which voters approved in November, allows districts to opt-in to a program that would provide free meals for all students by levying a tax on the state's highest earners.
Districts, however, faced a complicated program when deciding whether to implement the measure.
In the past, families filled out a form to qualify for the free and reduced meals. Districts feared that under the new universal free meal program, there was little chance families would actually return the documents -- thus hampering the districts effort's to receive funding.
"For schools, it actually helps them get additional funds for programs that they run," explained Ellie Ager with Hunger Free Colorado. "There was a concern that families wouldn’t complete the application and schools would then miss out of some of this funding that was tied to those numbers."
Districts get federal money per student who qualifies -- and it also helps them apply for grants. Agar said the CDE's announcement of incorporating Medicaid data to identify students will help remedy this problem.
"It's a great win for our state, we're very excited," she said. "A large number of those who qualify for free and reduced meals are also on Medicaid so this will capture a majority of families."
However it won't fix all the concerns. Families not enrolled in Medicaid and who qualify for free and reduced meals will still have to fill out the forms so they don't fall through the cracks.
The state said families who qualify may receive extra benefits like bus passes and help with utilities too.
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