PINEVILLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Wyoming County Schools will continue providing free breakfast and lunch to students during the upcoming school year through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program.
The CEP, created under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, allows schools in high-poverty areas to offer free meals to all students without requiring families to complete free- and reduced-price meal applications. This marks the fourth year Wyoming County Schools has participated in the program.
Under the CEP, schools qualify if at least 25% of their student population is directly certified for free meal benefits, allowing the entire school to participate.
“I am proud that Wyoming County Schools will be participating in the CEP program to help meet a crucial need for many students in our county,” said Johnnathan J. Henry, Superintendent of Wyoming County Schools.
“We know academic achievement increases when our students are well-fed and ready to learn, and we must provide secure and reliable access to nutritious meals, so all students have a chance to achieve at the highest level possible.”
According to the school system, 12 schools will participate in the program, including elementary, middle and high schools. The initiative is expected to provide meals to nearly 3,200 students each day.
Wyoming County Schools noted that food insecurity remains a concern across the state. Citing the 2017 Feeding America: Map the Meal Gap report, the district said more than 14% of West Virginia residents, including more than 79,000 children, live in food-insecure households.
For more information, contact Rhonda Thomas, Director of Child Nutrition, at 304-732-6262, ext. 1400.
