This school year we will begin serving free meals to our students for breakfast and lunch. We are excited to be given the opportunity to provide our students cost-free meals under the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The CEP, launched under the Healthy, Hunger-free Act, is a four-year program that serves free meals to the nation’s highest poverty schools and operates through federal and state funds. This is the first year we have qualified for the CEP program.

All students enrolled at St. HOPE Public Schools will automatically qualify for the free meals and any prior outstanding negative balance in a student’s meal account will be eliminated. Parents will benefit from cost savings and will no longer need to fill out cumbersome household applications.

The two free nutritious meals a day will allow students to come to class nourished and ready to learn. The program has shown previous success with increasing student health, academic performance, and improvements in school attendance. We are thrilled to be a part of the program!