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District to keep free meals through 2028 under CEP; food-service director aims to boost participation
Summary
The Jamesville-DeWitt school board heard that the district is enrolled in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and will offer free breakfast and lunch through June 30, 2028; staff reported modest year-over-year meal increases and plans to expand options to encourage participation.
The Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District will remain in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) through June 30, 2028, meaning free breakfast and lunch for all students, the superintendent told the board at its Aug. 3 meeting. "It is for a 4 year cycle, so we will be in CEP ... until 06/30/2028," the superintendent said.
She reported the district served 103,602 breakfasts and 237,985 lunches last year, an increase she described as "1.94%" — nearly 6,500 additional meals compared with the prior year. Christine Lau, the district’s new food-service director, is pursuing menu changes and service models to raise participation further, including reintroducing premade salads and other items students prefer.
Board members asked for participation-rate data and comparative costs for Universal Pre-K sites; staff said they would compile percentage participation and cost information for future meetings. The superintendent emphasized staff will monitor participation trends and said the district sees the CEP designation as a multi-year commitment tied to student access to meals.
