All students enrolled in Albertville City Schools will receive healthy breakfast and lunches at no charge regardless of income status for the 2023-2024 school year. 

“Nutrition plays a major role in the healthy growth and development of students, and we want to ensure every child has access to a healthy breakfast and lunch each day,” said Albertville Child Nutrition Program Director Suzannah Yoder. “When students are fed and are receiving proper nutrition, they are able to focus at school which leads to better overall academic performance.” 

Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP for short, is a federal program that allows schools in high poverty areas to offer breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students. CEP reduces paperwork for schools so they can focus on providing healthy meals to help students learn and thrive. 

CEP increases school meal participation by removing the stigmas that are typically associated with having to pay for lunch and possibly not having the funds to do so that day. It maximizes the federal reimbursement to schools with the highest rates of attending students living in low-income households. 

Students will continue to have the option to purchase a la carte items as well. Families do not have to do anything to receive the benefit, including paying any money for meals or filling out any forms.