We love having our kids home all summer, but many parents are just as happy to have them back in school, masks or no masks.

Most parents are aware that this will be the second year that all children will be offered free meals at schools, thanks to the pandemic. The federal program is welcome, but it is coming at an unexpected cost to our local school districts. They are pleading with parents to fill out the forms filed in normal times, in order to gauge the number of those eligible for free and reduced-cost lunches. That number is tied to the amount of federal funding, grants and discounts...