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Gloucester school board votes to end universal free meals, revert to paid model for 2025–26
Summary
After reviewing food-service finances and projected reserves, the Gloucester County School Board voted to end its full Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) participation and revert to a paid meal model for the 2025–26 school year, while asking staff to notify the Board of Supervisors and seek transitional supports for families.
The Gloucester County School Board voted unanimously on June 10 to end districtwide participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and revert to a paid school meal model for the 2025–26 school year, citing the program’s cost to the school food-service fund and the depletion of reserves.
Board members and food-service officials told the board that the district’s CEP rollout had used most of its fund balance. Presenters said the food-service fund began the year with roughly $633,000 in reserves and that continuing all schools under CEP would exhaust that balance after accounting for summer payroll and other year-end costs. The board asked staff to notify the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors about the change and to request any available county support for the food-service fund during the transition.
Why it matters: CEP lets qualifying schools offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, but federal…
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