County school leaders warn federal changes could shrink free-meal coverage under CEP

Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) leaders told the County Council Education & Workforce Development Committee on March 24 that proposed federal policy changes could reduce the number of schools eligible for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and increase administrative burdens for the district's child nutrition program.

Superintendent Millard House told the committee that ensuring students receive healthy meals is a district priority and that recent federal policy announcements "impact everything from meal reimbursement rates to nutrition standards, procurement processes, and evolving regulations." He said PGCPS is monitoring those changes closely and coordinating with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).

Mary Kirkman (referred to in later remarks as Director Kirkland in the transcript), director of food and nutrition services, told the committee that 32 schools in the district currently receive CEP, which allows schools or groups of schools to serve breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge. She said proposed legislation would change eligibility calculations — raising the threshold for identified student percentage from 40% to 60% — and, as a result, "there will be, close to 100 schools, that will lose, CEP status, and they will have to go back to doing their F AR M S applications." Kirkman also said proposals would require families who submit Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMs) applications to verify income rather than subjecting a subset to random verification.

District staff estimated that roughly 70,000 children could be affected if the CEP threshold rises, and Finance staff told the committee that PGCPS child nutrition reimbursements totaled approximately $60,000,000 last school year. Director Kirkman said the district is still modeling the exact budgetary impact and that some mitigation is possible by grouping schools for CEP calculations (an authorized option under CEP rules), but the district does not yet have a final figure for how many schools could retain CEP status after grouping.

Officials stressed administrative and operational effects beyond direct reimbursement figures. Dr. Shrozka Coleman, the district's chief operating officer, said the district could face added administrative costs and workload because, if more schools lose CEP status, staff would need to process many more FARMs applications and verify income for all applicants rather than a sampled percentage. "There's also the added burden that's placed on our schools," Coleman said, describing increased outreach and verification work for families.

Committee members asked about timeline and fiscal-year impacts. District staff said the proposed changes would likely affect next school year but noted that federal or state guidance could alter timing. On current-year finances, officials said child nutrition has a separate fund balance and that the district has used fund balance to sustain operations through June but that the program could face a different situation in the next fiscal year if reimbursements decline.

Members also asked about summer meals. Kirkman explained the summer meals program is not directly tied to CEP eligibility: sites are selected based on area eligibility and FARMs percentages. If a site is not area-eligible, the district must operate a closed site with rosters and verify each child's meal status; paid students would require a separate contract for meals.

School board Chair Brandon Jackson, board member Dr. Felton Moss and other board members told the committee the board and administration are coordinating responses, meeting regularly with state delegation members in Annapolis and discussing potential state and local strategies to protect funding and preserve access for students.

Officials said they are also assessing nonstate revenue and partnerships to fill potential gaps, but staff cautioned that they are awaiting federal guidance and that much remains uncertain. "This has made it very difficult to plan for the unknown," Dr. Coleman said, adding the district has a federal transition task force meeting weekly to track developments.

Committee members and board members discussed potential local responses, including grants, county-level appropriations and partnerships with community organizations. Board members and administration stressed readiness to collaborate with the council as guidance becomes available.

The district asked the council to consider the financial and administrative impacts as federal policy discussions continue; no formal council action or vote was taken at the March 24 meeting.