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Waddell board approves application for one-year CEP pilot to provide free school meals
Summary
The Waddell Board of Education voted to apply for a one-year Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) pilot for 2025–26 that would provide free breakfast and lunch to all students pending state approval; the measure passed on roll call.
The Waddell Board of Education voted to apply for a one-year Community Eligibility Provision pilot through the Ohio Department of Education that would provide free breakfast and lunch to all students in the district during the 2025–26 school year, pending state approval.
Robert Wolf, interim superintendent, presented the recommendation to apply for CEP and described it as a pilot that would cover both breakfast and lunch districtwide. Chair (speaker 1) said the program has been discussed previously and expressed strong support: "So, you know, basically, really, our students will get free breakfast and lunch every day at school." The board moved to apply for the program and approved the motion on a roll-call vote.
The board and staff discussed the program mechanics briefly. A district staff member noted the district will use direct certification counts provided by the state to determine eligibility and funding shares; the presentation said the pilot is a one-year project pending ODE approval and implementation details. No additional policy changes were adopted at the meeting; the approval authorizes administration to submit the CEP application and pursue the pilot if the state grants it.
Next steps: administration will file the CEP application with the Ohio Department of Education and notify the board of the state decision and any program implementation timeline.
