Hamden Public Schools Expands Free Meal Program To Students

From Hamden Public Schools

HAMDEN, CT — Hamden Public Schools (HPS) has announced the expansion of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2024-25 school year, dramatically increasing the number of students in the district receiving school meals at no cost.

HPS has received approval from the Connecticut State Department of Education for Alice Peck, Hamden Collaborative Learning Center (HCLC), Hamden High, Hamden Middle, and Hamden Transition Academy to operate under CEP. These schools and programs will join Church Street, Dunbar Hill, Helen Street, Shepherd Glen, and Ridge Hill, schools that were originally approved for CEP in 2020.

HPS will be adding approximately 2,700 students to the CEP program this school year, and it will cover over 80% of district students.

“We are excited to expand CEP in Hamden Public Schools,” Superintendent Gary Highsmith said. “Well-nourished students are better able to concentrate and learn, leading to better educational outcomes. Offering breakfast and lunch at no cost in more schools this year will be beneficial to our students and their families. I want to encourage parents and guardians to take advantage of this program.”

CEP, established under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, is a USDA non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. It allows eligible schools to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. Schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed by the federal government using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other specific means-tested programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

There are several benefits of adopting CEP for students, households, and the school district. For students, benefits include increased access to nutritious food, reduced food insecurity, reduced social stigma regarding meal status, and positive impacts on diet quality and academic performance. For households, CEP eliminates paperwork since there is no need to submit free and reduced-price applications, and households save money because meal charges are eliminated.

For schools, there is a decreased administrative burden, streamlined meal service, and no more school meal debt.

All students enrolled at the schools listed above will be provided a nutritious meal for breakfast and lunch each day at no charge. Households with students attending these schools will not be required to submit a meal application form in order to receive meals at no charge. Under CEP, one breakfast meal and one lunch meal are available at no cost. Second meals will be charged, as will a la carte items.

For the schools not participating in CEP- Bear Path, Spring Glen, and West Woods- free and reduced-price meal applications are available. Eligibility is based on household size and income.

To apply, please visit www.hamden.org/mealapplication.

For the 2024-25 school year, all students with reduced-price meal status will receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. Students without free or reduced-price status will be charged for meals. The new elementary school meal prices for 2024-25 are $1.50 for breakfast and $3.10 for lunch.