• COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION (CEP)

    Image of 3 male high school students eating lunch in cafeteria Duval County Public Schools are enrolled in the program. The intent of the CEP program is to improve students’ access to free school meals and eliminate the burden for families who were required to complete applications for free or reduced meals on an annual basis. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 authorized the CEP program to provide an alternative to household applications in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.

    As of the 2023-2024 school year, there are 151 schools participating in the CEP program. These CEP schools provide school breakfast and lunch to ALL students at NO CHARGE while they are enrolled in a CEP school during the current school year. Schools approved for the CEP program are reevaluated and assessed each school year to determine eligibility and whether the provision can be financially supported by the department or district.

    If your student(s) are enrolled in CEP schools, families do NOT need to submit a free or reduced-price meal application for 2023-2024.

    CEP FAQs

    • What is the ?
      • The schools were selected based on the percentage of students at the school who are participating in one or more of a variety of public assistance programs, such as Head Start, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 

    • What schools are considered CEP schools for the 2023-2024 school year?
      • Click here to see a list of Duval County Public Schools CEP sites
       
    • Do I need to fill out a Free & Reduced Application if my child or all of my children attend a school participating in CEP?
      • NO – you do not need to fill out an application for Free & Reduced Price Meals.
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    • If I have children attending non-CEP schools in Duval County, do I need to fill out a Free & Reduced Application? 
      • YES - you need to fill out an application for any children that are not attending a CEP school. Be sure to include the students that DO attend CEP schools on the application since the application is a Household/Family Application.
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    • If my child transfers from a school participating in the CEP program to a non-CEP school are they still free? 
      • No. The student will be able to receive meals at no charge for 10 days after transferring to give the family an opportunity to fill out a Free and Reduced Price Meal Application, but after the 10 days, the student will then need to pay full price for lunch until an application is processed and approved.