The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News - Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

Just a week after the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn School Board's decision to have the district continue to cover the costs of student lunches came word that it will not be doing so.

In a communication sent on Monday, Superintendent Patrick Carlin informed H-M-S families that student lunch costs cannot be covered by the district.

"It is with much disappointment that I must announce that the H-M-S Community School District will not be able to extend the covering of lunch cost as previously announced by the district," he wrote. "Unfortunately, the district recently received information from government agencies that indicate that this offering is no longer possible."

The board initially approved having the district cover the costs of student lunches for the months of December and January, and on Jan. 15 agreed to continue to doi so through the end of the school year.

According to Carlin, the district is still able to cover the cost of student breakfasts and will do so through the rest of the current school year.

"The district is always searching for ways to help our students, families and communities as much as possible and had hoped to be able to continue to provide this opportunity. Unfortunately, only covering the cost of breakfast will be able to continue," he wrote. "My sincerest apologies to the students, families and patrons for the discontinuation and confusion. The district will continue to search for ways to provide additional support to our students, families and communities."