Savannah-Chatham staff propose districtwide free meals under USDA Community Eligibility; warn of Title I funding shifts

District staff recommended the Savannah‑Chatham County school system adopt the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, a non‑pricing meal service option that would provide free breakfast and lunch to all students across participating schools for up to four successive school years, with a potential one‑year grace period.

The proposal outlined operational, financial and timing details and asked the board to consider a superintendent recommendation at the April 9 board meeting after staff analyzes April 1, 2025 eligibility data. Staff said, if the board approves, the district would submit required forms to the USDA and the Georgia Department of Education in May 2025 and complete staff training and technology updates before implementation at the start of the next school year.

Why it matters: Staff told the board CEP would remove the need to collect and verify hundreds of individual meal applications, reduce stigma associated with free or reduced meals, eliminate unpaid meal debt and increase participation. The district’s unpaid meal debt in school year 2023–24 exceeded $200,000, staff said, and administrators projected that districtwide CEP…