KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — All students attending Oak Ridge Schools will soon be offered two free meals per day, the district announced Tuesday.
Students at all eight schools in the district can get breakfast and lunch meals at no cost to the student or family beginning in the upcoming academic year. The district will do so through the Community Eligibility Provision, a universal meal plan under the National School Lunch Program.
Established through the Healthy, Hungry Free Kids Act of 2010, the CEP allows schools and districts to provide meal service to all students at no charge, regardless of economic status. This academic year will be the first time, aside from the years where COVID made the program universally available, that Oak Ridge Schools will offer free meals for all students.
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“While there is a cost to the district to roll this out to all schools, it aligns with our Core Value of putting our students first and investing in their well-being whenever possible,” said Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Dr. Bruce Borchers. “While the federal landscape is changing, and the long-term cost and eligibility to continue this program in future years is subject to change, we will continue to offer this to our schools for as long as we are able to financially support it.”
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According to the United States Department of Agriculture, schools that adopt the CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on participation in other programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)…