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Residents urge Bethlehem Area SD to adopt Community Eligibility Provision to expand free school meals
Summary
Multiple residents and coalition members asked the board to pursue the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to provide universal free meals, citing district meal debt and schools that are already fully eligible; district leaders said the option is reviewed annually and finances determine feasibility.
Several residents and coalition representatives used the board’s courtesy period on April 28 to urge the Bethlehem Area School District to adopt the Community Eligibility Provision, a federal program that allows eligible schools to offer free meals to all students.
Dominic Trabasi, introducing himself as a resident, said CEP would reduce administrative paperwork and help address reported meal debt in the district. “This is a universal meal program offering free meals to all students. It is funded by the state and the federal government,” Trabasi said, adding that the district currently has about $264,000 in reported meal debt and that “over a quarter of the district qualifies for universal free lunches with 68% currently qualifying for reduced lunch rates.”
Paul Bridal, speaking with the Pennsylvania Cancel School Lunch Coalition, said a right-to-know request by his group shows several schools would be 100% eligible for CEP. “Lincoln Elementary School, Marvine Elementary School, Freemansburg Elementary School, Harding Middle School, Brugel Middle School, Donegan Elementary School, and Fountain Hill Elementary School would all be 100% eligible for free school meals fully reimbursed by the federal government,” Bridal said. He urged the board to consider applying CEP at schools that would not cost the district anything to convert.
Kelsey Morrison and Leo Atkinson, both citing classroom experience and personal history in the district, echoed the request and described the program as a way to remove stigma and ensure students have access to meals.
District response: Board members and administration said the district reviews CEP eligibility annually. Doctor Leece (administration) told the speakers the district investigates the provision each year and that there is a financial “breaking point” where adopting CEP can become costly for the district. Doctor Silva indicated the finance committee would get an update on the status of CEP; the board did not make an immediate decision at the meeting.
Why it matters: CEP can expand access to free school meals and shift funding from individual meal accounts to federal reimbursements, but it also changes how district meals are reimbursed and can have budgetary trade-offs depending on participation and federal/state reimbursement rates.
Clarifying points from the record: speakers provided specific district figures (reported meal debt of $264,000 and participation statistics) and a coalition right-to-know finding that several schools would be fully eligible; the board said it examines CEP annually and that cost thresholds determine whether the district adopts the option for the entire district or select schools.
Next steps: The board agreed to provide a CEP status update to the finance committee for consideration; no formal action to adopt CEP was taken at the April 28 meeting.
