As you know, HSD is now offering free meals to all students, regardless of income, thanks to a change in certification requirements for the Community Eligibility Provision of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program. This certification will remain in effect through at least the 2026-27 school year. 
During this time, starting in the 2024-25 school year, we will be instituting a new process to qualify families for a partial or full reduction of various district fees. These include OSAA-sponsored athletics and activities, Marching Band and Colorguard, as well as AP and IB exams at the high school level; access to the Athletic/Activities Scholarship at elementary and middle schools; and low-cost internet access and/or hotspots at all levels. 
As part of the annual online verification of student information process in the late summer/early fall, all families will now have the option of completing a simple family income survey. 
Those who do not wish to participate, or whose household income would not qualify them for a reduction, would be responsible for paying the full amount of fees due. Those whose household income meets the federally-defined reduced-price level would qualify for a 50 percent reduction in fees, and those whose household income meets the federally-defined free level would qualify for a full reduction in fees. 
We are pleased to be able to offer an equitable way for families to access partial and full fee reductions, as needed. This is a new process for us, and we will likely make adjustments and enhancements along the way. Learn more on our website. 
Our featured student is Liberty High School sophomore Matthew Hui! He took first place in the State Chess for Success tournament on Sunday, April 14th. Mathew has been playing chess since 1st grade, and is fascinated by the uniqueness of the game. “For the week leading up to State, I practiced as much chess as possible to prepare for the tournament,” he explains.  “I studied new openings, new tactics, new traps, sharpened my calculation speed and accuracy, and increased my mental stamina. Even at the tournament, I would continue to learn more in between games in order to prepare myself for upcoming rounds.” Aside from chess, Matthew loves swimming, playing the piano, solving the Rubik’s Cube, and playing video games and strategy board games. Learn more about Matthew in his own words on our website. Way to go, Matthew! You make us Proud to be HSD!
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