Nine Houston County schools don’t qualify for free meals, but families can still find help

HOUSTON COUNTY — School breakfasts and lunches for nine schools in the Houston County School District will get a little bit more expensive in the upcoming school year. 

Mossy Creek Middle, Bonaire Elementary, Bonaire Middle School, Bonaire Primary, Houston County High School, Kings Chapel Elementary, Matt Arthur Primary, Matt Arthur Elementary and Veterans High School are set to see increased meal prices after a  Board of Education vote to approve the price increase at their July 7 meeting. 

The agenda said the district is required to set student meal prices in accordance with federal requirements under the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. 

Student breakfast prices will increase from $2 to $2.25. Elementary school lunch will increase from $2.75 to $3.25. Middle and high school lunch will increase from $3 to $3.25. 

Adult and visitor breakfast and lunch prices will increase to $3 and $6, respectively.

But at several schools across the county, every student eats for free. Thirty-one of the county’s 40 schools qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). 

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), CEP is a federal free-meal service option for schools in low-income areas. Schools qualify based on the percentage of students who participate in other programs such as SNAP or Medicaid. 

Assistant Superintendent Dana Wiggins said in an interview that these nine schools have a lower percentage of students who qualify for government assistance. 

Wiggins said families at these schools may still qualify for the district’s free and reduced-price lunch program based on income. The school district’s nutrition program is willing to work one-on-one with families who need assistance submitting an application.

The application can be found here: www.nlappscloud.com/Welcome.aspx?api=709f07b66c11dc26442ff85203ac875e