The Palm Springs Unified School District announced Monday that they will be offering free meals to all students for at least the next four school years.
Beginning this fall, breakfast and lunch will be served at no charge to all enrolled students beginning on the first day of school – which is August 8 (which just seems way too soon).
“The Board of Education is excited about expanding the school nutrition program to include all of our students,” Board President James Williamson said in a statement. “A child who is hungry cannot learn. The district is committed to doing anything we can to ensure a supportive learning environment.”
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) through the United States Department of Agriculture provides a non-pricing meal option for school districts in low-income areas, allowing the District to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.
While applications for free or reduced lunch are no longer necessary, but the District requires parents to fill out an annual “education benefit form” to make sure classes get the maximum amount of funding possible. The form can be completed online.
