SEATTLE — What were supposed to be free lunches ended up costing families at several schools throughout Seattle due to a breakdown in communication over a new program.
Families said they were never told about the free meal program until late March and had been sending cash or loading an account since the start of the school year so their students could eat during the class day.
There are about 50 campuses in the Seattle Public Schools system that provide free meals to all students without any income eligibility requirements. Under Washington state law, about a half dozen schools were newly qualified for free lunch programs, regardless of a family’s income…