News Summary
Duval County Public Schools has announced that 37 schools will discontinue free lunch under the Community Eligibility Provision starting in the upcoming school year. Families at these schools will need to apply for free or reduced-price meals, shifting away from the universal free meal policy implemented since the pandemic. While some schools will still qualify for free lunch, all students will initially receive free meals for the first 30 days while their eligibility is determined. This change highlights the implications of pandemic-related funding adjustments and the importance of timely application for meal assistance.
Jacksonville, FL – Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) has announced that starting with the 2025-26 school year, free lunch services under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) will no longer be available at 37 schools. This change means that students at these institutions will not receive free meals regardless of their financial situation, marking a significant departure from the universal free meal policy that has been in place since March 2020.
Families whose children attend the affected schools will have to fill out an application for free or reduced-price meals or be certified by the state to receive meal assistance. In the past, all students in the district benefited from free meals due to federal funding related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided financial support to schools nationwide.
The decision to discontinue universal free lunch follows a budget review by DCPS, concluding that continuing this program without federal pandemic-related funding was not financially sustainable. As of the upcoming school year, schools will only qualify for the CEP if at least 40% of their students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals through assistance programs such as SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid.
While the 37 schools will no longer participate in the CEP for free lunch, students at other qualifying schools will still benefit from free lunch programs. Notably, all students in the district will receive free lunch for the first 30 operational days of the 2025-26 school year, or until their eligibility status for meal assistance is determined.
Students who are approved for government assistance programs, including SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid, will automatically qualify for free or reduced-price meals through a streamlined certification process. Meanwhile, free breakfast will continue to be provided at all schools thanks to the federal Universal Free Breakfast Program, which remains unaffected by these changes.
For parents at the non-CEP schools, it is essential to be proactive. They will need to apply for free or reduced-price meal assistance, with applications expected to be available online during the first week of August. Some parents have expressed disappointment over the termination of universal free lunches, fearing that families may overlook application deadlines and miss out on meal assistance.
Importantly, families who have children in schools that will be implementing the changes will need to stay vigilant about their applications to ensure their eligibility for meal assistance. In contrast, those with children attending schools that remain in the CEP will not need to take any action concerning lunch meals.
This shift away from universal free lunch is part of a broader reevaluation of school meal funding as districts continue to adapt in the wake of the pandemic’s lasting impacts. For some families, the reliance on meal assistance programs is a crucial support system, highlighting the importance of timely communication and access to information from school officials.
As the 2025-26 school year approaches, the district will provide further details and resources to assist families in understanding the changes and navigating the meal application process.
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Additional Resources
- News4Jax
- Wikipedia: School Lunch
- First Coast News
- Google Search: Duval County Public Schools meal assistance
- Action News Jax
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Food Assistance
- WOKV
- Google News: Duval County Public Schools free lunch
