Free school breakfast and lunch for all Westbrook students, including remote meals, will continue until Sept. 30.

The Westbrook school nutrition director, Mary Emerson, said the district has received an extension on federal waivers put in place during the pandemic.

The waivers are important because 60% of Westbrook students qualify for free or reduced lunch, Emerson said, considerably more than the number of students in neighboring districts. In Scarborough, for example, 7% are eligible.

According to a 2021 state report provided by Emerson, out of 36,000 students in Cumberland County, 26% are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

Emerson said she is working to get the waivers extended beyond Sept. 30.