ARLINGTON, Wash. — At Arlington's Weston High School, you don't have to wait for the lunch bell in order to get a meal.
A new vending machine in the school cafeteria provides free breakfast and lunch to students, all day long. It includes food items ranging from yogurt to nachos.
That means kids who wake up late, miss the bus or have car problems don't have to worry about missing a meal. They're students like Max Larson, who commutes to school from Stanwood.
"I got here late one day. I wasn't feeling well, but I was able to get some food here so I was able to restart my day and put a happy face on," Larson said.
Approximately 74% of the students at Weston qualify for free or reduced meals.
Larson said he has friends who sometimes don't get enough to eat at home — which makes missing a meal at school a big deal.
He said he thinks the ability to access free food at any point in the day is a game changer.
"At school, your job is to learn. When you're hungry, it's harder to do that. This helps kids get back on track with their day, especially if they arrive late," said Larson.
Low attendance is an issue at Weston and the hope is by offering free food throughout the day, that will change.
"We have some stragglers where getting up in the morning is a challenge," said principal Andrea Dixon-Hundredmark. "It means we're reducing food insecurity and hopefully increasing daily attendance."
Weston's four-year graduation rate is only 59%.
Dixon-Hundredmark believes part of the reason is food insecurity.
Snohomish County food banks are operating at record levels. According to Feeding America, more than 9% of children in Snohomish County don't get enough to eat. That's more than 17,440 hungry kids.
"Our kiddos are experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety," says Dixon-Hundredmark. "Food insecurity is a real issue."
Dixon-Hundredmark hopes the lure of free meals will help more students leave school with diplomas.
"What we're hoping is that by them having access to food, not one meal but two, regardless of when they arrive, we'll see more of them," the principal said. "We are meeting the kids where they are. For some kids we're meeting them hungry and late to school. Our attitude is it's no big deal. We're gonna solve both of those right now."