There could be such a thing as a free lunch for all Akron school children in the future.

Akron Public Schools already offers free breakfast to students in grades K-12, and free lunch at elementary schools.

That could expand to free meals for all students in the district, under a pilot program.

Child nutrition coordinator Laura Kepler says if the district decides to take part, federal funds would reimburse the meal cost.

"This is actually a service towards the students that fall into the category of Reduced Price and Paid," Kepler tells AkronNewsNow.com. "They would actually not have to pay the meal cost of 40 cents or $2.25 that it currently is."

Kepler says even those parents taking part in the free lunch program now...wouldn't have to fill out paperwork.

"Those parents would not have to fill out a meal application," Kepler notes. "We would get the data that would allow us to feed those meals, and get the free reimbursement."

The program counts those already receiving food assistance or other government help, making that paperwork unnecessary.

The Akron district has not yet applied to take part in the program.

The district has also been providing fresh fruits and vegetables two to three times a week in a program that's being tried at Leggett Community Learning Center this year, and will expand next year to also include Crouse CLC and Findley CLC.

Kepler says both teachers and students at Leggett are responding very positively, and that it exposes students to foods they would not normally eat.