All students to receive free lunch and breakfast

For the 2015-16 school year, Parents will be receiving some very positive news regarding school lunches and especially school lunch prices. In a special called meeting on July 20, 2015, the Hardeman County Board of Education approved expansion of participation in the pilot National School Lunch Community Eligibility program or CEP program. Prior to the vote, Hardeman County School Nutrition Supervisor, Martha Robertson, recommended to the board it be approved as a pilot program for one year. We can lock in (to the program) for four years, but we can also opt out at any time if it's not working (economically).
Robertson further explained the program is federally funded based on students participation and the number of free meals provided. She believes the program will have little to no negative impact on the school district, and may even prove to be an economic benefit. Over the past year, five schools in the Hardeman County School District have been participating in the CEP Program. After collecting data for the past year, the district voted to expand the pilot program to all nine campuses. As a result of that decision, Hardeman County School District will provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of their economic eligibility. "This program will allow all our students to focus on their studies without being distracted by hunger or worry about the stigma of free or reduced lunch," said Robertson. Director of Schools — Warner Ross provided an impact example of what the CEP program can mean to parents, "for a family with two students enrolled in school and who are not participating in the Free or Reduced Lunch program and purchasing breakfast and lunch, this decision allows that family to realize a $1250 savings per year in school breakfast/lunch cost for those students". Furthermore, Ross said, "I applaud our Board Members for taking the opportunity to listen, study, and discuss the benefits and challenges of expanding the CEP Program to all of our schools, this expansion is not a fiscally risk free decision for the district, but it is definitely worth expanding the pilot program to determine if CEP is fiscally feasible as a permanent program".
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, allows qualifying high-need school districts to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, providing the nutrition and energy children need to be healthy and ready to learn. CEP is a powerful tool that will assist in removing the stigma of the Free and Reduced Price meal program of the past. Participating in the CEP program allows the Hardeman County School District to receive full federal reimbursement for meals served depending on student participation rates. Participation is anticipated to increase because all students have the option of a no-cost breakfast and lunch available to them.
CEP has already been successfully implemented in five pilot schools across the district and has experienced positive results since its introduction in 2014-15 school year. The CEP Program reimbursements for the 2014-15 school year at those five schools surpassed expectations. As a result of this, Hardeman County Food Services was able to end the school year with a small operational surplus going to the Cafeteria General Fund. This was the first operational surplus for the Food Services Fund in recent history. This transition also allows the district to redirect these funds to lunchroom infrastructure improvements as well as increasing the quality of food served to students. The district will be conducting Food Service Surveys during the first nine weeks of the school year. Middle and High School students will complete the surveys online at school, while the Elementary Students will have choice of paper or online survey to complete at home or at school. We encourage students and parents to participate in the survey. The district will be using that feedback to increase student participation and their overall food service experience in the Hardeman County School District. Hardeman Count Schools serves approximately 3800 students in nine schools across the county.