Posted in District News Archive on October 8, 2019
The Arlington ISD announced a new meal program last summer allowing 25 of its schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to all of their students. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) has been implemented at Carter and Workman Jr. High Schools and the 23 elementary schools that feed into those campuses. The district is also continuing to offer the Free and Reduced-Price Meals program at all remaining campuses.
What is Community Eligibility Provision?
CEP is a service option available to identified schools that automatically allows those schools to provide breakfast and lunch to all enrolled children at no charge. Children attending a school operating CEP will receive free breakfast and lunch without families completing the USDA free and reduced-price meal application.
What Actions Does a Family Need to Take to Enroll in CEP?
To help ensure students receive all State funding and benefits available to their school and for appropriate comparisons for State accountability purposes, families with children at a school operating CEP will be asked to complete a Household Family Data Collection form. Please help your school receive all the benefits available by completing this form during the student registration process.
David Lewis, director, AISD food and nutrition services said, “The Community Eligibility Provision is another way AISD has chosen to improve the health and wellness of students in our community. AISD succeeds only when we provide opportunities for students to succeed. CEP helps promote student performance and concentration whether it be in the classroom, on a stage or on a field by providing nutritious meals at no charge.” This option also reduces the financial stress on families.
25 Schools Eligible for CEP
The following schools are qualified and will operate under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP):
Workman Jr. High Carter Jr. High
Amos Elementary Adams Elementary
Atherton Elementary Anderson Elementary
Burgin Elementary Berry Elementary
Farrell Elementary Blanton Elementary
Foster Elementary Crouch Elementary
Goodman Elementary Crow Elementary
Hale Elementary Johns Elementary
McNutt Elementary Knox Elementary
Morton Elementary Patrick Elementary
Remynse Elementary Rankin Elementary
Roark Elementary South Davis Elementary
Thornton Elementary
CEP is a service option available to identified schools that automatically allows those schools to provide breakfast and lunch to all enrolled children at no charge. Children attending a school operating CEP will receive free breakfast and lunch without families completing the USDA free and reduced-price meal application.
We also ask that you complete a Household Family Data Collections form in order for your child’s school operating CEP to receive all the State funding and benefits available.
What is the Free and Reduced-Price Meals program?
AISD campuses other than those listed above are still participating in the federal free and reduced-price meal program as in previous years. To receive free or reduced-price meal benefits for your child(ren) attending a school not operating CEP, you will need to sign up for free and reduced-price meal benefits by completing a meal benefits application. Families must complete a free and reduced-price meal application for each new school year. Eligibility for last school year (2018-19) expired on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, so please renew your application if you have not already for the 2019-20 school year.
When completing the meal benefits application, you will need to list all children in the household on the meal benefits application.