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Goshen County School District keeps free-meal program under Community Eligibility Provision for 2026–27
Summary
After a presentation on meal counts and program costs, the board voted 6–3 to continue districtwide participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2026–27 school year, citing higher participation and reduced administrative burden for families and staff.
The Goshen County School District #1 Board of Trustees voted to maintain districtwide participation in the Community Eligibility Provision for the 2026–27 school year, preserving free breakfast and lunch for all students across the district.
District food-service presenter Marcy Moody told trustees the district’s identified student percentage (ISP) — based on direct certification from SNAP, Medicaid and similar programs — has driven reimbursement rates under CEP. She said CEP helped the district increase meals served from roughly 173,360 in 2023–24 to about 231,332 in the most recent school year and noted rising food and labor costs that have pushed menu and staffing expenses higher.
Trustees asked whether universal distribution had increased food waste and how the district manages unconsumed items. Moody said every school has a shared table so students can place unopened or unwanted items for others to take and that the National School Lunch Program’s “offer versus serve” rules require a reimbursable meal to include at least three of five components, including a half-cup of fruit or vegetable, which mitigates waste.
Board discussion also focused on timing: several trustees and a public commenter said a June 30 effective date leaves families and staff little time to plan if the district reverted to free-and-reduced pricing. Trustees noted CEP avoids application-related stigma, reduces unpaid meal debt collections and lowers administrative workload by relying on direct certification data.
Trustee 14 moved to maintain CEP for 2026–27; the motion was seconded and passed by a hand-count vote reported as 6–3. The board directed that the food-service fund continue to be funded in part by reimbursements and transfers from the general fund as in prior years. No amendment or further conditions were adopted.
The board’s action preserves districtwide free breakfasts and lunches for the coming school year; the board chair said she would work with administration on communication so families and staff have as much advance notice as possible.
