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Finance committee recommends districtwide adoption of USDA Community Eligibility Program
Summary
The Beaufort County Board of Education Finance Committee voted unanimously June 20 to recommend that the full board authorize all district schools to participate in the USDA Community Eligibility Program beginning in the 2024–25 school year, citing elimination of meal debt and simplified meal access.
The Beaufort County Board of Education Finance Committee on June 20 recommended that the full board authorize districtwide participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Program (CEP) beginning in the 2024–25 school year. Committee members voted unanimously to forward the recommendation for board consideration.
Staff explained CEP, a federal option established under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 that lets eligible schools provide free breakfast and lunch to all students without household applications. Under current district calculations staff said every school qualifies on the program’s April 1 eligibility metrics and staff ran conservative financial models that project the district would break even or realize slight net gains after switching from local paid-lunch revenue to USDA reimbursements.
The committee heard that unpaid school meal balances surged after the COVID-19 period: staff reported roughly $94,000 in unpaid meal debt after the 2022–23 school year and projected another $53,000 by the end of the current year. Presenters said CEP would eliminate the accrual of meal debt and administrative burden associated with applications and collections. "I don't wanna be a debt collector any longer with my parents," said Melissa Pender, principal at Coosa Elementary, explaining why she supports districtwide CEP adoption.
Rebecca Rutherford from the State Department of Education's Office of Health and Nutrition provided state-level context and staff noted roughly 57 districts in South Carolina were fully participating last year, with more joining for the coming year. Staff also told the committee the food-service fund held a healthy balance (staff cited a roughly $9,000,000 fund balance used for equipment and allowable spend-down) and that the district would model reimbursements, participation increases and any a la carte impacts before finalizing the full-board recommendation.
Mr. Campbell moved the committee recommendation to the full board and the motion carried by voice vote. The finance committee's action is a recommendation; the full board must vote to adopt CEP districtwide. The board is expected to consider the recommendation at its upcoming meeting.
