Media on MA Schools Pursuing Free Meals for All Students Under "CEP" - Is YOUR Local School Stepping up to the Plate?
The clock is ticking - June 30th is the deadline for School Districts to notify the Mass Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) they wish to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and provide free lunch and breakfast to all children in one or more schools, or to students in the entire school district. About 25 school districts have sent letters to DESE expressing interest in CEP, but quite a few more school districts can participate if they choose to do so. Here's a link to the list of school districts potentially eligible. Here's a link to all the potential school districts and schools that have high numbers of low income students: http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=10196 The schools districts must notify DESE of their plans to do by June 30th (current federal deadline). And here's great information from FRAC on the CEP option
We urge SNAP Coalition members to continue to reach out to how poverty local school districts (Superintendents, school committees and school nutrition directors) to urge them to pursue CEP for the coming school year! Also ask your local news outlets to carry press on this important issue, and please send in letters to the editor in support of schools that have stepped up to the plate!
Here's recent press on CEP you can share with your school districts and respond to:
1. Feed MA School Kids, Eliminate Stigma: As Easy as CEP - Mark Scheerer, Public News Service-MA
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2014-06-09/hunger-food-nutrition/feed-ma-school-kids-eliminate-stigma-as-easy-as-cep/a39818-1
2. Fall River schools will consider offering free lunches to all students - Â http://www.wickedlocal.com/article/20140604/NEWS/140608289/12714/NEWS
3. Free breakfast, lunch on menu for New Bedford students:Â http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140522/NEWS/405220387/-1/news
4. Malden students to receive free meals: http://www.dddnews.com/story/2085705.html
5. Greenfield Supt. looking into free lunches for kids: http://www.recorder.com/Archives/2014/04/FreeLunch-GR-041514
High poverty target school districts that have not yet sent letters to DESE requesting to participate in CEP include: Athol-Royalston; Barnstable; Brockton; Chelsea; Chicopee; Clinton; Fitchburg; Gardner; Lowell; Orange; Pittsfield; Quincy; Taunton; Ware and Worcester. Even if the school district is not ready to move ahead before June 30th, it is still important they hear from you as to why this is important in case USDA grants more time to apply and/or to set the table for next year.