See which Franklin County districts are offering free meals this school year

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Five Franklin County school districts will offer free lunch and breakfast to all students this year, regardless of family income.

Groveport Madison, Pickerington and Canal Winchester will all offer free meals for the first time this upcoming school year. Columbus City Schools and Whitehall will continue pre-existing free lunches. 

All five districts are eligible for free lunches through the Community Eligibility Provision of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The program, often known colloquially as CEP, is free for eligible public school districts. 

Districts apply through the state, which involves calculating a percentage who are identified as eligible for school meals for any reason other than a free and reduced student meal application. If the percentage is 25% or higher, the district is eligible. 

Canal Winchester said around 45% of students are eligible for free and reduced lunches, which allowed the district to be approved for CEP participation. According to the district, students can still bring their own lunches and there will still be a la carte items and snacks available for purchase. 

This is typical of schools within the program. All of the districts also automatically opt students into the program, with no additional paperwork necessary. 

Schools that are accepted into the CEP program are reimbursed based on the percentage of eligible students multiplied by 1.6, according to Chief Communications Officer and Press Secretary for the Department of Education Lacey Snoke. All other costs are the districts’ responsibility.

According to data from the Ohio Department of Education, Columbus City Schools have a district-wide percentage of eligible students of 61.95%. Interim Executive Director of Communication Jacqueline Bryant said the district has been participating in the program for over a decade. 

Pickerington City Schools has a percentage of 32.38% eligible students and Groveport Madison has a percentage of 54.9%, according to state data. Whitehall has a percentage of 68.52% and has participated in the program since the 2017-2018 school year. 

 “This initiative supports our students’ well-being, ensuring they have the nutrition they need to stay focused and succeed in the classroom,” Canal Winchester Superintendent Kiya Hunt said. 

The average cost for elementary school lunches this year for Franklin County public schools that are not in CEP is $2.88. The average middle school lunch is $3.17 and the average high school lunch is $3.62. 

The average cost for a school breakfast is $1.45. Most schools maintain the same pricing for different grade levels’ breakfasts, but some do change the price based on grade. 

Although Bexley City Schools prices its lunches relatively high – $3.70 for elementary schoolers and $3.95 for middle and high school – this will be the district’s second year offering free breakfast. Bexley does not qualify for CEP, but the district allocated $100,000 from its general fund to provide breakfast for students. 

Meals for under $4 are becoming rarer, but those numbers add up. The average high schooler would owe over $650 if they bought lunch every day at school. 

“By removing the barriers of food insecurity, we are creating a more equitable learning environment and easing the financial burden of families,” Hunt said.