The state has extended its free lunches program until the end of the month of October for school districts affected by Hurricane Harvey, including Pearland ISD and Friendswood ISD. The program provides all students with a free lunch daily until Oct. 31. “Our goal is to provide as much of a sense of normalcy for our students and our staff but also help them as best we can,” PISD Executive Director of Communications Kim Hocott said. Staff members affected by Harvey are also welcome to a free lunch until the end of the month as well, Hocott said. According to Hocott, the recovery process will take several months for some students and staff. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Hocott said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture notified school districts in affected areas that they will be reimbursed through Oct. 31. Originally, reimbursement was only granted to schools through September. This notice was sent out to 22 counties in Texas.