MARION COUNTY — Students in the Winfield city and Marion County school systems will eat for free this upcoming school year through the Community Eligibility Program.
CEP was created under the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which was intended to allocate federal funds to help feed students in lower-income areas of the country.
CEP allows for schools in areas with high poverty rates to offer free meals to all students, without any students having to apply to receive the free meals.
CEP reimburses schools based on the number of students who would normally be eligible for free meals through other programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Both school systems announced their participation with CEP this year, and now students at all schools at all grade levels will be receiving free meals. Winfield City Schools Superintendent Randy Thomley said he and other school administrators will be watching the program closely during its first year.
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