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Residents and students urge Bethlehem Area School District to expand free-lunch pilot
Summary
At the April 27 board meeting, multiple residents, student representatives and a district staff member urged the Bethlehem Area School District to expand a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) pilot to cover as many schools as possible, citing student debt, stigma and a state report suggesting 14 schools could qualify at full reimbursement.
At its April 27 meeting, the Bethlehem Area School District board heard multiple public appeals to expand a free-school-lunch pilot under the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
Sebastian Zaverka told the board a family example in which one child was auto-enrolled but a friend was not and ‘‘racked up over $800 worth of debt’’ for school lunches, and urged the district to maximize participation in CEP to avoid similar hardship. Louise Torres, a 32-year veteran high-school teacher who said she is now retired, said hungry students cannot learn and urged the board to support any program that reduces barriers to learning.
Samantha Samayoa thanked…
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