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Fairfield Union board adopts Community Eligibility Provision to give free meals to all students
Summary
The Fairfield Union Local board voted unanimously to adopt the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), enabling all students to receive free breakfast and lunch for the 2024–25 school year; staff said families should still complete free-and-reduced forms because form returns affect other federal and state funding formulas.
The Fairfield Union Local Board of Education voted to adopt the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), allowing every student to receive a tray breakfast and tray lunch at no charge beginning with the 2024–25 school year.
Superintendent Bellville introduced the program as a pilot and said the district is "very excited" about the change, calling it "a game changer for our kids and our community and our families." Miss Roberts, who presented details during the consent portion of the meeting, said families should continue to complete free-and-reduced meal applications because those returns help secure other federal funding (Title I and state reimbursement formulas). Miss Roberts noted the district has added an electronic form through PaySchools so families can complete the application online.
The board moved to approve and execute the Community Eligibility Provision; Mister Hoffman made the motion and Mister Smelter seconded. The motion carried by affirmative roll-call votes from members present.
Board members and staff said the CEP will not change the daily menu ("It's not a different meal or a special meal," Bellville said) and that students and staff may still purchase a la carte items. Officials described the policy as a one-year pilot with the district monitoring application returns and financial impacts to determine whether to continue the program beyond the coming school year.
Miss Roberts explained that the CEP changes the district's funding calculations because the district will submit every student as eligible for free meals to secure food-service funding under that program. She told the board the district and its food-service partner, Chartwells, and forecasting consultants have run scenarios and remain confident the approach is appropriate but cautioned that some general-fund supplementation may be necessary in future years depending on reimbursement formulas and application return rates.
The board did not set a separate deadline for the free-and-reduced forms; staff said families may apply or update their status at any time during the year and the PaySchools form reflects changes immediately. The board approved implementation and directed staff to begin program rollout for the start of the school year.
