Community Eligibility Provision Offers Schools Way to Offer Free Meals

This year, the Biden Administration did away with giving everyone free lunches, meaning that schools will charge for lunches unless students have a Free & Reduced application on file with the schools. However, the Community Eligibility Provision offers schools an opportunity to offer kids free lunches without parents having to submit the paperwork to get free or reduced lunches.

The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 established the Community Eligibility Provision to allow high poverty schools to serve free means to all enrolled students for a period of four consecutive school years. This option is available to all schools participating in both the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

Instead of household applications, schools can claim percentages based on the number of identified students for reimbursement. Identified students include:

--Students with direct certification as free lunch eligible. This includes students who are on food stamps or TANF;

--Homeless lists;

--Migrant lists;

--Foster lists;

--Runaway lists;

--Head Start lists.

To be eligible, schools must have an Identified Student Percentage of at least 40% to participate in the program. The school must then have approval from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education prior to implementation. Schools must provide the agency with raw data showing how the ISP was derived. Schools pay the difference between federal reimbursement and the cost of providing all meals at no charge.

If the ISP falls below the 40% threshold at the end of the four year cycle, schools will be allowed to continue the CEP for a grace year if it falls within 30-40% as of April 1st. Those that do not meet this threshold will be required to return to regular program administration, including collecting household applications.

Schools must notify the state of their intent to implement CEP by June 30th of each school year to begin CEP for the following school year. 

In order to participate, schools must do the following:

--Submit the April 1st Community Eligibility Provision Site List report by April 15th;

--Submit the ISP raw data supporting documentation to DESE by June 30th prior to the year of implementation;

--Submit the CEP Police Statement Form, ISP Calculation Worksheets, and a completed web application packed to DESE prior to the year of implementation;

--Following approval by DESE, notify households that meals will be served at no charge.

Schools can recalculate the ISP and report it to the state in order to get a higher reimbursement rate.

North Daviess is currently participating in the program. Eligible, but not participating, is Craig. St. Joseph is participating, but their ISP number fell to 39.8% for this year; they are in their grace year. Grundy County is near-eligible at 35%.