For the second year in a row, all students enrolled in the Houston R-1 School District will receive free breakfasts and lunches, the school announced on Thursday.
The offering is part of a partnership with the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). No application is required.
The 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).
The district said the free meals cover complete, reimbursable breakfasts and lunches. À la carte or extra items will be charged.