Community members press Bethlehem Area SD to pursue districtwide free meals under CEP
Summary
Three community members urged the Bethlehem Area School District board to pursue the federal Community Eligibility Provision so all students receive free meals; speakers cited looming federal SNAP changes, a tight application timeline (direct certification numbers announced April 1, application deadline about June 1), and the opportunity to lock free meals for four years.
Community members urged the Bethlehem Area School District board at its Dec. 15 meeting to apply for the federal Community Eligibility Provision, a program that would provide free school meals districtwide.
Sebastian Zabaruka, who identified himself as a Liberty High School graduate and resident of 341 Spring Street, told the board the district is eligible and urged trustees to act quickly because deadlines are near. “The next deadline is gonna be April 1,” he said of the direct-certification numbers used to determine eligibility, and he said the application deadline comes about a month later. Zabaruka said CEP, if adopted, would lock in free meals for four years and described the potential per-student incremental cost for high-school meals as “$2.85 per student, on the high scale.”
Two other residents voiced similar support. Cheyenne, who said she lives in Easton, recounted growing up in a low-income household and called CEP a way to remove stigma and make sure children eat at school. “If CEP is adopted this upcoming year, we have it for 4 years,” she said. Dominic Trabasi said he was raised in the district and urged the board to open the conversation now, citing concerns about federal rollbacks to benefit programs and asking the board to identify barriers to adoption.
Board leadership did not make a decision at the meeting. The chair told speakers the administration will present updated cost and eligibility numbers to the full board in early spring — “when we talk about food prices for next calendar year, that’s when we’ll have another presentation on the universal lunch program for everybody” — and invited commenters to meet with trustees after the meeting for further discussion.
What happens next: community members pressed for follow-up meetings and analysis; the board expects an administration presentation in spring that will show the district’s updated direct-certification data and the estimated fiscal impact of applying for CEP. The board did not vote on CEP at this meeting.
