Board approves free lunches for all Central Dauphin schools
DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — The Central Dauphin School Board will soon provide free lunches for all schools in the district, the school board approved Monday night.
In the 2023-2024 school year, 15 out of the district’s 19 schools already qualified for free lunches under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program. The federal program entitles students to free breakfast and free lunch.
Now, after a recent expansion of the federal program, all of the schools in the district qualify for partial federal funding.
Under the CEP program, the federal government provides schools that adopt the program partial meal reimbursements based on a formula.
According to the USDA, the higher the percentage of students who are certified for free school meals without submitting a household application — including students directly certified through programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) — the higher the reimbursement rate schools receive.
Because, the federal government does not reimburse the entire cost of the free school meals under the CEP program, Monday night’s move will require the district to spend an extra $500,000 to cover the lunch program for all buildings.
Central Dauphin School District holds first board meeting since Justin Johnson’s death
At Monday night’s meeting, the district’s administration also recommended the 2024-2025 proposed budget for approval.
The proposed budget totals $254,677,577, with no tax increase.
The budget will be up for a board vote for final approval at the June 10, 2024 board meeting.
The public can also view the proposed budget at the administration building and online
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