NEW HANOVER — Nearly 11,600 students in the district will receive free breakfast and lunch for the upcoming school year.
According to a release on Monday, 30 schools in the district have qualified for the USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which provides free meals to students in low-income areas without requiring individual meal benefits applications.
The CEP program targets high-poverty schools and covers the cost of meals for all students. This initiative simplifies access to nutritious food by eliminating the need for families to apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits.
“This program is a tremendous opportunity for us to serve the whole child at the schools where families need it most, and it’s at almost no cost to the district,” said Assistant Superintendent of Operations Eddie Anderson in the release. “It’s absolutely a win-win.”
CEP eligibility is determined by factors such as the percentage of students who are homeless, in foster care, or receiving public assistance. However, all students at participating schools benefit from free meals, regardless of their individual financial situation.
The district will receive reimbursement for a substantial portion of the meal costs, often covering up to 90% of the expenses.
The 30 schools that will be receiving CEP are:
- Alderman Elementary
- Blair Elementary
- Bradley Creek Elementary
- Castle Hayne Elementary
- College Park Elementary
- College Road Early Childhood
- Forest Hills Elementary
- Freeman Elementary
- Gregory Elementary
- Holly Shelter Elementary
- Howe PreK Early Childhood
- JC Roe Early Childhood
- Johnson PreK Early Childhood
- Lake Forest Elementary
- Laney High
- Mosley Elementary
- Murrayville Elementary
- Myrtle Grove Elementary
- New Hanover High
- Pine Valley Elementary
- Sea Tech High
- Snipes Elementary
- Trask Middle
- Virgo Middle
- Williams Elementary
- Williston Middle
- Wilmington Early High
- Winter Park Elementary
- Wrightsboro Elementary
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