SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KNWA) — The Springdale School District secured $16 million from the state Thursday to help students in poverty.

This comes after the district hit 70 percent enrollment in its free or reduced-price lunch program.

Anything under 70 percent means losing out on $8 million in state funding.

Rick Shaeffer with the Springdale School District said it took a little longer to reach the goal this year, and it could be for a number of reasons.

To prevent language barriers from being one of them, the district translates applications for reduced lunches to Spanish, Marshallese, or any other language needed.

Shaeffer said some schools even have the principals go door to door to make sure families under the poverty line know they can sign up for free or reduced lunch.

“Obviously our goal is someday to reduce the poverty level in the city of Springdale, but at this point, those extra funds mean a lot as far as services in our district,” he said.

This is the fourth year in a row the district has qualified for this type of funding.