When Cape Girardeau Central students return to school Aug. 16, they�ll each be provided with free breakfasts and lunches, the district announced Monday.

The Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, a U. S. Department of Agriculture program, will provide the district with more than $1.5 million in assistance, said district spokeswoman Kristin Tallent. This will give the district a chance to meet students� basic needs so they�re better able to learn.

�I love it,� district superintendent Neil Glass said of the program. �We�re really excited about being able to do this for the community, our families and our students.�

Josh Crowell, assistant superintendent of support services for the district, said he and cafeteria manager Dana McClard started working on the process about a year ago, when they got information from Missouri�s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or DESE.

Crowell said the district had to meet certain eligibility requirements, including an identified 40 percent of students living at or below the poverty line.

Using DESE�s tables and calculations, Crowell said, he and McClard were able to show the district met the criteria.

�We were able to make this work district wide,� he said.

The USDA�s information states schools must serve free breakfasts and lunches to all students during the four-year cycle, must count the number of meals distributed, agree not to collect household applications for school-meal programs and determine whether nonfederal funds are required to cover costs above reimbursement.

The school district has more than 4,000 students, according to Tallent, and all will be given free breakfast and lunch at their buildings.

A la carte items at the high school and other extras will still be available for purchase, according to Tallent.

There is no enrollment for the program, Crowell stressed, and he said he hopes this strategy will help end stigma around the free food.

�Kids wouldn�t necessarily eat the lunches because they felt attention was drawn to them,� Crowell said. �This levels the playing field for all children.�

Blanchard Elementary principal Barbara Kohlfeld agreed, saying in the past, students� families had to fill out lunch applications, and depending on the family�s income level and other factors, students would receive either a free or reduced-price lunch.

That meant there was a lunch account for parents to monitor, Kohlfeld said.

�I think this will be absolutely fabulous for everyone,� Kohlfeld said. �Not only will students receive a quality education, but their nutritional needs will be met for free.�

That will help contribute to students� focus in the classroom, Kohlfeld said, but there�s more to it than that.

�Obviously, a basic need we all have is to be able to have nutritious food,� Kohlfeld said. �It keeps us healthy, and for students, it�s a boon to their focus and concentration, and will help meet their needs healthwise.�

That, she said, and this will be one less worry for parents to deal with.

Glass said the program isn�t exclusive to Cape Girardeau, and is a nationwide program meant to help districts address high levels of poverty.

�Kids can�t learn if they�re sitting there hungry,� Glass said. �We have to meet those basic needs to be able to educate.�

And, Glass said, thanks to the hard work of the district�s administrators and the school board�s support, beginning next week, that can happen.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630