Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Meals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District approved for Community Eligibility; free breakfast and lunch for all K-12 students
Summary
Superintendent announced Brooklyn City Schools is approved for the Community Eligibility Provision, enabling free breakfast and lunch for all K-12 students this school year; preschool meal service remains limited and prior negative balances persist.
The superintendent told the Brooklyn City Board of Education on Aug. 19 that the district has been approved under the Community Eligibility Provision by state and federal authorities and will provide free breakfast and lunch to all K-12 students for the 2025-26 school year.
He said parents do not need to take action for their K-12 children to receive meals; however, preschool students are excluded because the schedule does not provide designated lunch and breakfast times. He added that any negative balances carried over from last year will remain and families should be aware of outstanding account balances from the prior year.
The superintendent said district staff will track meal counts and report to the board later this year on uptake and whether meal output has increased as a result of the policy.
Board members and the superintendent framed the program as a way to remove barriers to learning and reduce family costs; the treasurer and superintendent later discussed how bond investment interest and capital funds are being managed separately from food-service operations.
Next steps: staff will monitor meal participation and provide the board with usage data as requested.
