With the start of the new school year, all Irving ISD students will get free breakfast and lunch

Irving, Texas – In a landmark move aimed at enhancing food accessibility and alleviating the financial burden on families, Irving Independent School District has announced the provision of complimentary breakfast and lunch for all students during the 2023-24 academic term.

With the start of the new school year, all Irving ISD students will get free breakfast and lunch

This sweeping initiative extends its benefits from the youngest pre-kindergarten participants to high school seniors, ensuring the presence of nutritious meals, a cornerstone of successful educational engagement, for the district’s entire student population.

In previous epochs, the district’s complimentary meal program was confined to those matriculating from pre-K to eighth grade, with high school pupils required to establish their eligibility through a bureaucratic process known as the “household meal benefits application.”

Free breakfast and lunch for all students in Irving ISD is available through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program

The fulcrum for this comprehensive change is the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a significant federal undertaking. Designed specifically to address food scarcity in economically disadvantaged communities, the CEP empowers schools to provide cost-free meals to their student body. The embracing of this program by Irving ISD amplifies its commitment to providing an equitable educational environment.

Further details, as well as answers to a selection of commonly posed inquiries, can be found by visiting the dedicated information page on the district’s website. This initiative reflects a broader movement towards education policies that consider the holistic needs of students, ensuring that no child is disadvantaged by a lack of access to proper nutrition during the school day.

This is Irving ISD full statement:

Irving Independent School District is excited to announce that starting with the upcoming 2023-2024 school year, both breakfast and lunch will be free for ALL Irving ISD students, regardless of their ability to pay and without the need for a meal application.

Previously, school meals were provided at no cost for students in PreK through 8th grade and high school students who qualified through a household meal benefits application.

This new initiative now includes all high schools and will encourage students to take advantage of healthy meal options at no cost and allow our Irving ISD families to save money.

For more information regarding the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), please visit

https://www.irvingisd.net/Page/758 or https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/community-eligibility-provision

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