SMITH COUNTY, Texas — The Chapel Hill Independent School District is continuing its policy to operate the Community Eligibility Program under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for the 2023-2024 academic year.
All students at CHISD will receive free breakfast and lunch daily.
For the qualifying schools, CEP will serve breakfast and lunch to all children at no charge. This new approach will reduce the burden for not only families but school administrators; ensuring that every student receives a nutritious meal.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, schools that adopt this program are reimbursed based on the percentage of students eligible for free meals, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
The program takes identified students and divides them by population. Identified students are those who currently receiving assistance from the following programs: SNAP, TANF, Medicaid Free, Homeless migrant worker children, and Head Start.
Any district that has more than 40% of the following identified students is eligible for the program. Chapel Hill ISD's current percentage stands at 64.69.