With the end of the school year near, the Nevada County Office of Education is gearing up for any new applications for its Free and Reduced-Price Meals Program for this summer and fall. Superintendent Scott Lay says this past year they served four-thousand-119 students, down slightly from the previous year, when they served four-thousand-263…

Lay says that’s about 40-percent of the county’s student population. But he says they promote the program well. County education officials say children are eligible if the household income is less than, or equal to, the federal guidelines…

Households do not need to turn in an application when it receives a notification letter saying their children automatically qualify for free meals when any household member receives CalFresh or CalWorks benefits. An application can also be turned in any time during the school year.