Free breakfast and lunch for CPS students starting this fall

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Beginning this fall, all Chicago Public Schools students will be able to get free breakfast and lunch at school.

The high number of students living at the poverty level in the district qualified CPS to meet the required threshold for full reimbursement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to CPS officials.

In the past school year, lunch at a typical elementary school for students who didn't qualify for assistance cost, on average, about $2.45. Lunch at a typical high school cost slightly more.

The district expects to serve 72 million meals to students in the coming year, 2 million more than during the last school year.