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Board hears warning that free-meal program may be unsustainable without new funding
Summary
School nutrition staff told the Gloucester County School Board that participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) covers many students but leaves a structural funding gap: federal reimbursements do not match actual meal costs, and the district may exhaust its food service fund balance without new revenues or changes to the program.
School nutrition and finance staff told the Gloucester County School Board on May 13 that the district’s participation in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is increasing meal access but creating a structural shortfall that could exhaust school‑food reserves.
Nutrition directors said Gloucester’s identified student percentage (ISP) is 40.7%, which the district multiplies by 1.6 under federal rules to calculate meal reimbursement tiers. That math, officials said, yields about 65.12% of meals reimbursed at the federal free rate ($4.43) and the remainder reimbursed at 42¢,…
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