The Boeing Machinists walkout may be all but over, but in the meantime, the start of school this month has many strikers facing even-tighter financial constraints.

More than 100 union households with children in Snohomish County schools have applied for free or reduced-price meals for their children on a temporary basis.

The National School Lunch Program provides price breaks on meals — including breakfast — for low-income families and for those that face temporary loss of income. Depending on individual families' finances, a strike could qualify them for the program.

"It's definitely worthwhile to fill out an application," said Paula Malone, the food- services specialist in the Edmonds School District, which had 10 striking families in the program last week. "It's not something that most people are proud of, but it's meant to help people out."

About 18,300 members of the Machinists union went on strike at the beginning of September. Members are scheduled to vote tomorrow on a tentative contract that has been endorsed by the union leadership.

Malone is the wife of a Boeing striker, and their children are receiving the temporary reduced-price meals.

"We prepared for it [the strike] by paying all our bills off, knowing that it was probably coming," Malone said.

On Saturday, her husband started getting weekly strike pay of $150 from the union. But if the strike continued after Friday, strikers would have to start paying for their own health-care coverage. Monthly premiums could range from $300 to $1,400.

"There is stress in families themselves as they are trying to cope with the situation," said Allen Sharples, the curriculum director of the Lakewood School District, which had seen 12 applications for the program by last week. "No one wants to be in the situation they're in."

The price of school breakfasts and lunches varies among districts. In the Edmonds School District, breakfast is $1.25 to $1.50 and lunch $2 to $2.50. The reduced-price breakfast is 30 cents and lunch 40 cents.

The program is administered in a way that no child is singled out. In many districts, for example, children pay through a lunch card that is swiped electronically.

The temporary program is to end after 45 days, at which point the parents would be asked to resubmit income information. If the strike continued, they would be eligible to reapply.

At the Machinists' union hall in Everett, many strikers have picked up the school-lunch applications, said Tom Lux, who handles community services there.

"We have many members who were laid off and were just called back to work, so they've used up all their resources," Lux said. "Because of the strike, they're now in dire financial straits. When your resources are depleted, any help is helpful."

Lisa Chiu: 425-745-7804 or lchiu@seattletimes.com