Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program may be eligible to operate under the Community Eligibility Provision. CEP allows eligible schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to all students without collecting household applications.
- Eligibility Requirements:
– Schools must have an Identified Student Percentage (ISP) of at least 25% as of April 1 of the current year
– ISP is calculated using direct certification. - Cycle Duration:
– CEP is approved in 4-year cycles, with an option to continue mid-cycle if ISP remains valid - Grouping Option:
– Schools may participate as individual sites or in districtwide/school groupings to meet eligibility - Application & Reporting:
– Schools must submit required CEP notifications, elections, and data by the annual August 31 deadline
– Schools currently operating Provision 2 may switch to CEP if eligible - No Household Applications Required:
– CEP simplifies meal access and administrative workload by eliminating income-based forms
Details here:
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) – NYSED