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Onslow County Schools raises high‑school meal charge limit and adds four schools to CEP
Summary
District staff told the board they will raise the high‑school charge limit from $37.50 to $65, restrict snack purchases when student accounts have zero balance, and confirmed four schools qualified for the Community Eligibility Provision for 2025–26.
Onslow County Schools staff told the board they will raise the high‑school meal charge limit and expand free breakfast and lunch to four schools under the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
Dr. Bridal Gardner, a district staff member presenting the update, said the high‑school charge limit — the amount a high‑school student may charge on their meal account — will increase from $37.50 to $65. She emphasized this change is not a lunch price increase and said K‑8 students will continue to have no charge limit for meals.
Gardner also described a new procedure for snack purchases (prepackaged items such as ice cream and chips): if a student’s account balance is zero, or a requested snack would cause the balance to fall below zero, the purchase will be denied. Gardner said the change is intended to protect fiscal responsibility of student accounts and teach smart spending habits.
On CEP eligibility, Gardner said staff applied to include Bell Fork Elementary, Blue Creek Elementary, Jacksonville Commons Elementary and Thompson Early Childhood Center in the program; the district’s application was approved and students at those four schools will receive free breakfast and lunch in 2025–26 without paper applications.
Board members and staff thanked child nutrition and finance staff for the work to implement the changes. Gardner said staff would be available to answer additional questions but presented the update as informational rather than a formal action item.
