The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that it is expanding the availability of the Community Eligibility Provision, commonly known as CEP, which will provide an estimated 3,000 more school districts in high-need areas across the country the option to serve breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost.
CEP is a simplified meal service option that allows schools to provide meals at no cost to all students without requiring families to apply for free and reduced-price meals.
Instead, school districts receive federal funding based on a formula using existing data from SNAP and other programs, and local or state funds must fill any gap between program costs and federal support.
Before this final rule, at least 40% of students had to live in households participating in certain income-based federal assistance programs, in order for a school, group of schools, or school district to be eligible for CEP.
This final rule lowers that threshold from 40% to 25%.
While this change in CEP applies across the country, it will be particularly impactful in states and school districts which commit to supporting healthy school meals for all students with their own funds.
Eight states have taken additional permanent actions to make sure hunger is not a barrier to children’s success, in addition to allowing eligible schools to participate in CEP.
California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont passed state laws allowing their schools to serve healthy school meals to all their students at no cost, while here in New Jersey, a similar law has been moving slowly through the Legislature.
In these states, schools that previously were not eligible for CEP can now take advantage of this final rule to experience more efficient, streamlined school meal operations as well as predictable federal funding levels.
What does this mean in english? Pls write an article that we can understand
When asked whether USDA will also supply sukkahs to children who only eat meals inside a sukkah during the Sukkahs holiday, a USDA official told reporters on Tuesday; “We only supply the food, not the sukkahs.”
“However,” he added, “we WILL supply the children with bamboos, which can be eaten, and which can also be used as roofs to cover the sukkahs.”
“If you’re custom is to hang bottles of honey inside the sukkah as part of noy sukkah,” he said “we will be glad to send you plenty of edible honey, which can also be used for the noy sukkah.
“For those children who are still unable to build a suitable sukkah to eat in,” he added, “we recommend they seek out the nearest rainforest, where, in all likelihood, they will be exonerated from eating inside a sukkah.”
To Hmm
Realistically it doesn’t mean much to most Lakewood schools . It only really works out for schools who have over 60 per cent of their student body on SNAP. Schools that only have 25 per cent while technically may be eligible ,their funding amount will be reduced so heavily that it doesnt work financially . On top of that NJ has to change their rules to keep up with the federal program so that may take some time . Bottom line only a small number of schools who have a majority parent body of snap recipients may benefit . So dont get too excited . Like with most things the headlines look better than the reality .
So why is (moderated) H.S. making the parents pay $650 per child for the lunch program??
To Annoyed mother
2 reasons First this change did not happen yet . It might take another year or more if it happens at all in NJ .and second this change only benefits parents in schools with a majority of parents on food stamps. If your daughters school does not fall into the category of majority food stamps, then the program wont pay the school enough to pay for your lunch.
As they say ,There is no free lunch. No pun intended .Somebody has to pay for the food unless most of your school is on food stamps. Its like everything else with government programs . If the majority are on food stamps then you can come along for the ride . If only 25 or 35 per cent are on food stamps ,then the school gets paid very little and wont be able to afford the food. The poor get the free stuff and middle class get squeezed. That is government at its best .
Because you are not eligible for lunches (income wise)