Hillsborough County Public Schools will provide free meals to all students at select schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2026-2027 school year, the district announced.

CEP is a provision that allows eligible schools to offer meals to all students at no cost to their families, regardless of household income. The district said all students at participating schools will be served lunch at no charge throughout the upcoming school year.

The program stems from federal law. Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 amended the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to create the CEP as an alternative to traditional household applications for free and reduced-price meals, targeting local education agencies and schools with higher concentrations of low-income students.

Hillsborough County Public Schools has participated in the program in previous years as well, offering it districtwide to eligible schools based on income data.

Families with children at schools not covered by CEP can still apply for free or reduced-price meals through the district’s standard application process. Additional details, including the full list of participating schools for the 2026-2027 year, are available through Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Student Nutrition Services office.

Follow the St. Pete-Clearwater Sun on Facebook, Google, & X

St. Pete-Clearwater Sun: local St. Pete-Clearwater & Tampa Bay, FL news at PIE-Sun.com