The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. CEP allows the nation’s highest-poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. Instead, schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other specific means-tested programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Last spring, CPS had four buildings with eligibility. At this time, CPS determined that we would only offer the program if we could include all buildings by grade level, for example, all K-4, all 5-8, and all 9-12. We were notified during the summer that we may be eligible for all buildings; however, the reimbursement rate is different than that for free and reduced families and our paid meal calculation. This means that if approved, we would have to substantially reduce our options at all buildings to ensure every item and meal served met reimbursable guidelines. CPS would need to move to a more traditional one-option school meal program, and we would have to eliminate the ala carte options at the Middle and High School cafeterias. The District also has substantial unpaid student meal balances, impacting our ability to make the CEP provision work fiscally.
Our District leadership is working diligently with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to find a possible solution to our K-12 participation in the CEP program. We will continue to provide updates throughout the process. As of today, our meal programs are “paid” programs unless a student qualifies for free or reduced meals through the application process.
Dr. Chip Kay, Superintendent