10/22/2023
๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ค๐ก๐จ ๐ผ๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ผ๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐พ๐๐
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is giving an estimated 3,000 more school districts nationwideโincluding approximately 700 additional schools in New Yorkโthe option to serve breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost by expanding the availability of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
CEP is a federal option that allows high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all students. This new final rule lowers the eligibility threshold from 40% to 25%. Effective October 26, 2023, any school district, group of schools in a district, or individual school with 25 percent or more “identified students”โchildren eligible for free school meals by means other than an individual household applicationโcan participate.
While this change in CEP applies across the country, it will be particularly impactful in New York State thanks to the new CEP State Subsidy. The CEP State Subsidy ensures all CEP meals are reimbursed at the “free rate,” allowing all eligible New York schools to provide free meals to all students while alleviating the financial burden.
๐ผ๐พ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฟ: ๐๐๐-๐ฎ๐๐๐ง ๐พ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ง 15, 2023
The New York State Department of Education, Child Nutrition Program Administration is now accepting applications for schools to apply for CEP to add newly eligible schools. Schools that do not already offer free meals to all students are encouraged to consider the following next steps:
โข Review SED’s guidance on the mid-year election for CEP, including an updated list of potentially eligible schools available to download.
โข Assess potential eligibility to adopt or expand CEP in newly eligible schools.
โข Consider applying for CEP or expanding CEP to other schools in your district.
Need individualized assistance? Hunger Solutions New York is committed to supporting school districts to apply for and implement CEP. Our goal is that all CEP-eligible schools maximize the CEP State Subsidy in the 2023-2024 school year. We provide support to schools at no cost.
Francesca DiGiorgio, MPH
School Meals Policy and Engagement Specialist
Francesca.DiGiorgio@HungerSolutionsNY.org
๐๐พ๐๐๐: ๐พ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ช๐๐จ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐จ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ก๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ค๐ง๐
This summer, Hunger Solutions New York hosted a webinar series and disseminated a newsletter to support schools applying for and implementing CEP in the 2023-2024 school year. View these materials on our website.
We will continue our CEP newsletter this year to share updates, new resources, and webinars. If you would like to receive this newsletter, please contact Francesca.DiGiorgio@HungerSolutionsNY.org.
