PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Over the last few years, the Oregon Department of Education has seen a “dramatic” increase in schools offering free meals to all students.
These findings were presented during Monday’s Oregon House Committee on Education meeting , where lawmakers received updates on schools participating in the USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision — a voluntary program in which eligible schools can offer all students free meals.
During the 2021-22 school year, Oregon saw 569 schools participating in the CEP program, and after steady increases, that number has grown to 1,191 Oregon schools for the 2024-25 school year.
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“This shows a dramatic increase in the schools that are operating CEP in Oregon,” said Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs Director Dustin Melton — noting this means 94% of Oregon schools participate in CEP.
During his presentation to the committee, Melton highlighted updated regulations from the USDA in October 2023, which allowed more school to join the program. In April, Oregon updated state CEP rules to align with the USDA regulations.