They say there’s no such thing as a free meal but that isn’t — and shouldn’t be — the case when it comes to children.

We’re proud to say that no child in the St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District will have to pay for a meal this upcoming school year.

This is something our Child Nutrition Program has been working toward for some time, with students at some schools being able to take advantage of free meals in previous years.

However, this year for the first time all enrolled students at Garyville-Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet School, Fifth Ward Elementary School, Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School, West St. John Elementary School, East St. John Preparatory Academy, Emily C. Watkins Elementary School, LaPlace Elementary School, West St. John High School, John L. Ory Communication Arts Magnet School, East St. John High School and the St. John STEM Magnet High School Program will not have to worry about paying for their meals.

Nothing is required of parents for students to take advantage of this program.

Just show up to school!

This opportunity is made available to schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs through the Community Eligibility Provision, which eliminates the need for free and reduced price meals in schools considered high poverty.

Authorized by Congress as a part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the Community Eligibility Provision is a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. CEP allows schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.

Instead, schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

The result is a win for everyone involved. Students gain access to free nutritious meals, with no worries about standing out as a student receiving a free, reduced or full-price meal.

Parents don’t have to worry about filling out paperwork and, of course, save money. School nutrition staff are able to streamline meal service and give students more time to eat lunch and breakfast.

The entire district benefits by reducing paperwork such as the tracking of unpaid meal charges, allowing staff to focus more on quality of meals and nutrition education and, most importantly, by having thousands of nourished students focused and ready to learn.

Parents with questions can contact Child Nutrition Supervisor Terry Charles at 985-536-1106, ext. 8119, 8129, or 8116.

With less than a month to go before the start of the 2018-19 school year, we’re excited to implement this new program in all our schools.

Jennifer Boquet is the communications specialist for St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools. Email her at jboquet@stjohn.k12.la.us.