COLUMBIA, S.C. — As the new school year begins, News19 reached out to Midlands-area school districts to ask about free or reduced-price meal policies for students. Listed below are the responses that have been received. News19 will add to the list as more districts respond.
Calhoun School District
All students enrolled in the school/district may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them.
Calhoun County Public Schools is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2023 - 2024 school year. Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)) (the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision. All students enrolled in the school/district may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications. Breakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Please encourage students to participate in the school meal programs. You may contact your School Food Service (SFS) Director Whittaker Williams 803-655-7310 for additional information. Parents or guardians that do not want their child/children to participate in CEP may wish to discuss this matter with Director Whittaker Williams on an informal basis. Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to Whittaker Williams Director of Food Services whose address is: 125 Herlong Ave, St. Matthews SC 29135 for a hearing to appeal the decision.
Lee County School District
All students enrolled in the school/district may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them.
Families will not have to fill out meal applications. Lee County School District is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the (current school year) school year. Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1))(the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision.
Lexington One
Forts Pond Elementary, Pelion Elementary, Pelion Middle and Pelion High in Lexington County School District One are participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2023–24 school year.
Lexington County School District One today announced its policy for free and reduced-price meals for children served in schools under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
For school officials to determine eligibility, the household must provide the following information on the application:
- a SNAP or TANF case number certifying the household is currently eligible for either of these assistance programs and an adult household member signature or
- names of all household members, the name and last four digits of the social security number of the adult household member signing the application form, current income by source for each household member and a signature of an adult household member certifying that the information provided is correct.
Foster children may also be eligible for these benefits regardless of household income. If a household has foster children living with them and the household has not previously been notified by the School District that their foster children have been directly certified for free meals, the household should include and count the foster children (including personal income earned by the foster children) on the household application form with other non-foster children.
Under the provisions of the policy, Food Service and Nutrition Bookkeeper Rita Squires will review applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians dissatisfied with the ruling of the reviewing official may wish to discuss the decision with the reviewer on an informal basis. Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to Jennifer Miller, chief financial officer, whose address is P.O. Box 1869, Lexington, SC 29071-1869, (803) 821-1000 for a hearing to appeal the decision.
Lexington Two
All Lexington Two students will eat breakfast and lunch meals at school at no cost during the 2023-2024 school year, with the district’s participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program.
Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a) (1) (the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision. All students enrolled in the district may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications.
Breakfast and lunch meals follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Please encourage students to participate in the school meal programs.
Contact Lexington Two’s food services office at (803) 739-8381 for additional information.
Parents/guardians who do not want their child/children to participate in CEP may discuss this matter with Pam Bienkoski, in the Lexington Two district office, on an informal basis.
Lexington Three
All students in Lexington County School District Three will continue to receive free breakfasts and lunches during the 2023-2024 school year as part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program.
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a key allocation of The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, eliminates the requirement for parents/guardians to fill out Free and Reduced Meal applications for the upcoming school year. CEP also promotes equity across the district by eliminating out-of-pocket school meal costs for all families. In addition, the CEP program will make it easier for Lexington Three’s dedicated child nutrition staff members to streamline meal service operations and expand reach so that all students are nourished and ready to learn and grow.
Lexington-Richland Five
School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2023-2024 school year. Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a) (1) (the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision. All students enrolled in the schools listed below may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications.
Participating CEP schools are as follows: Crossroads Intermediate School, Dutch Fork Elementary School, Dutch Fork Middle School, H. E. Corley Elementary School, Harbison West Elementary School, Irmo Middle School, Irmo High School, Leaphart Elementary School, Oak Pointe Elementary School, Nursery Road Elementary School, Seven Oaks Elementary School.
To apply for meal benefits and find meal prices for the 2023-2024 school year please visit: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=1554486153373
Newberry County School District
The School District of Newberry County is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2023-2024 school year. Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)) (the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision. All students enrolled in the school/district may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications.
Breakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Please encourage students to participate in the school meal programs.
You may contact your School Food Service (SFS) Director, Wendy Saverance, for additional information. Parents or guardians that do not want their child/children to participate in CEP may wish to discuss this matter with Wendy Saverance on an informal basis.
Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to Mr. Christian Earl whose address is: 3419 Main Street Newberry, SC 29108 for a hearing to appeal the decision.
Richland One
Again this year, all Richland One students can eat school meals at no cost to them or their families. The 2023-2024 school year will be the ninth year that Richland One has participated in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program.
Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1))(the law) provides an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision.
All students enrolled in Richland One may participate in all meal programs at no cost to them. Families do not have to fill out meal applications.
Breakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Please encourage students to participate in the school meal programs. For more information, contact Richland One Nutrition Services at (803) 231-6953.
Parents who do not want their children to participate in CEP may contact Nutrition Services Director Tracy Dixon at tracy.dixon@richlandone.org.
Richland Two
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program provides an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. All students enrolled in the school/district may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications.
The following schools in Richland Two are participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program for the 2023-2024 school year:
- Bookman Rd. Elementary
- Bridge Creek Elementary
- Catawba Trail Elementary
- Dent Middle
- E.L. Wright Middle/CFK
- Forest Lake Elementary
- Jackson Creek Elementary
- Joseph Keels Elementary
- Killian Elementary
- L.W. Conder Elementary
- Langford Elementary
- Longleaf Elementary
- Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary
- North Springs Elementary
- Polo Rd. Elementary
- Pontiac Elementary
- Rice Creek Elementary
- Richland Northeast High
- Ridge View High
- Sandlapper Elementary
- Summit Parkway Middle/CFI
- Westwood High
- Windsor Elementary
Breakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Please encourage students to participate in the school meal programs.
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is provided by Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1))(the law).
For additional information, contact School Food Service (SFS) at foodservices@richland2.org, or for parents or guardians who do not wish for their child/children to participate in CEP, please contact Nicole Burns, Richland Two Food Service Accounting Specialist, at nburns@richland2.org.
Sumter School District
The district participates in the Community Eligibility Provision, which provides free breakfast and lunch to all Sumter School District students.
If a student wishes to purchase any special sales items or a second meal, he/she must have money to purchase additional food items.
The cost for adult breakfast is $3.50 and adult lunch is $5.00.
