PSUSD to give free meals to all students for next four years
All students enrolled in a Palm Springs Unified School District school won’t have to worry about lunch money for a while.
The District announced that it would be modifying their policy relating to the National School Lunch/School Breakfast Programs, effective starting in the 2018-19 school year. The amendment will allow all students a lunch and breakfast free of charge.
“The Board of Education is excited about expanding the school nutrition program to include ALL of our students,” said President James Williamson. “A child who is hungry cannot learn. The District is committed to doing anything we can to ensure a supportive learning environment.”
The program does not require an application but does ask parents to fill out an “education benefit form” each year to make sure that all students receive the proper amount of funding annually.
“The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) through the United States Department of Agriculture provides a non-pricing meal option for school districts in low-income areas, allowing the District to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications,” reads the PSUSD statement. “Districts that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals.”
Questions about the provision and the program can be directed Stephanie Bruce, the Director of Nutrition Services for the District. She can be reached at (760) 322-4117 ext. 9 or at sbruce@psusd.us.
