Students attending Wareham Public Schools this year won’t have to worry about forgetting their lunch money.

Because more than 40 percent of Wareham students qualify for free school meals, all students will be offered breakfast and lunch free of charge during the 2014-2015 school year thanks to a federal grant.

Such grants are available to communities in which at least 40 percent of the students enrolled are eligible for free school meals. According to income eligibility guidelines for the state of Massachusetts, students coming from family of four, for example, qualify for free lunch if a combined income does not exceed $30,615 per year.

“We are very grateful that we have qualified for this program as we believe it is highly beneficial for our students,” said Superintendent Kimberly Shaver-Hood, adding that reimbursements for each meal provided to students will go directly into the food service program’s budget.

Earlier this year, school officials explored the possibility of privatizing the food service program at Wareham Public Schools after it reportedly lost approximately $80,000 over the last two years combined. They ultimately decided to keep the service in-house, though cuts were made and staffing was decreased.

Shaver-Hood said the federal grant will allow the food service program to operate at a balanced budget, or better, in the positive.

“Less time is spent on trying to recoup outstanding debt,” said Shaver-Hood. “Schools that have chosen to implement this option either break even or do better.”

“We hope this will enable us to break even,” she added.

Shaver-Hood said that this is a fairly new program, with Florida, Georgia, Maryland and Massachusetts being selected to begin in the 2013-2014 school year.  This was this was the first year Wareham was eligible, as it did not exceed the 40 percent threshold last year.

Starting in the 2014-2015 school year, all schools nationwide that meet the 40 percent “identified student threshold” will be able to participate in the program. Shaver-Hood could not state the exact percentage of Wareham students that meet the threshold, only that is was more than 40 percent.

Shaver-Hood said the program covers a basic school lunch and breakfast, and that students still have to pay if they want extra items.

Though Shaver-Hood expressed support for the program, she described qualifying for it as a “double-edged sword.”

She said the free meals might lessen parents' incentive to fill out financial eligibility forms, but that the paperwork is essential to other grant programs.

"It still remains essential for the families to fill out financial eligibility forms.”