Students in the Cleveland County School District will receive breakfast and lunch at no cost during the 2026–2027 school year following a decision by the district’s school board to participate in a federal meal program.
The Cleveland County School Board voted to join the Community Eligibility Provision, commonly known as CEP. The program allows eligible school districts to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students without requiring families to complete individual meal applications.
According to information presented to the board, the district qualified for the program based on the percentage of students who participate in certain federal assistance programs. The district reportedly met the required eligibility level to participate.
Under the program, each student will be able to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day. Students who want additional meals or food items will be required to pay for those purchases.
The district has experienced changes in its school meal program in recent years. Free meals were provided to all students during portions of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the district later returned to the traditional application-based system.
District officials hope participation in the CEP program will help make meals more accessible to students while reducing unpaid meal balances and simplifying the meal process for families.
