By Chris Taylor
Paducah, KY – Paducah school officials say the system's new free meal program is seeing an increase in student turnout. Yesterday was the school system's first day of this academic year. Compared to last year's first day, over one hundred more students ate breakfast at the schools and nearly 200 more opted for a cafeteria-made lunch. Despite those increases, Food Services Director Penny Holt tells the Paducah Sun only a small portion of the district's 2,900 students have returned the application forms, but she expects more to trickle in as students and parents adjust back into the school routine. The new federally-subsidized program allows students to qualify for free or reduced price lunches based on their parents' income.