RAPID CITY – The South Dakota Department of Education has announced its policy for free and reduced-price meals for the 2025-2026 school year, with eligibility based on new federal income guidelines. The policy is a part of the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
The policy provides free or reduced-price meals to children from families whose household income is at or below the updated federal poverty levels. For a household of four, the annual income threshold for free meals is $41,795, while the threshold for reduced-price meals is $59,478.
Based on past data, many students in the Rapid City and Black Hills area are eligible for these benefits. According to a 2021-2022 profile from the South Dakota Department of Education, 53.6% of students in the Rapid City Area School District were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The poverty rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives in Rapid City is 50.9%, a rate that is more than three times the national average.
Households receiving benefits through programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) are directly certified as eligible for free meals. Additionally, children who are homeless, runaway, in foster care, from a migrant household, or enrolled in Head Start are also eligible for free meals.
Families who wish to apply can fill out an application available from their local school or agency. The information provided is confidential and used to determine eligibility. Households can apply at any time during the school year.
INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES
(Effective from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026)
| Annually | Annually | Monthly | Monthly | Weekly | Weekly | |
| Household Size | Free | Reduced | Free | Reduced | Free | Reduced |
| 1 | $20,345 | $28,953 | $1,696 | $2,413 | $392 | $557 |
| 2 | $27,495 | $39,128 | $2,292 | $3,261 | $529 | $753 |
| 3 | $34,645 | $49,303 | $2,888 | $4,109 | $667 | $949 |
| 4 | $41,795 | $59,478 | $3,483 | $4,957 | $804 | $1,144 |
| 5 | $48,945 | $69,653 | $4,079 | $5,805 | $942 | $1,340 |
| 6 | $56,095 | $79,828 | $4,675 | $6,653 | $1,079 | $1,536 |
| 7 | $63,245 | $90,003 | $5,271 | $7,501 | $1,217 | $1,731 |
| 8 | $70,395 | $100,178 | $5,867 | $8,349 | $1,354 | $1,927 |
| For each additional family member, add | $7,150 | $10,175 | $596 | $848 | $138 | $196 |