Last week, the Putnam County Board of Education announced its free and reduced-priced meals policy. Children from families that are unable to pay full price for meals are eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program for Afterschool Snacks/Supper Program, the Summer Food Service Program, and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

The 2022-23 school year will be different in that the federal government has not approved free universal meal services for all students throughout the county as the government has during the last two years of the Pandemic. Seven Putnam schools, however, currently qualify to participate in meal benefits through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program. The CEP program is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Child Nutrition Meal Programs and provide free universal meal services to children in high-poverty areas.

Putnam’s CEP schools for the 2022-23 school year are Buffalo Elementary, Confidence Elementary, Hometown Elementary, Lakeside Elementary, Poca Elementary, Poca Middle and Rock Branch Elementary.

Students enrolled at these schools will receive FREE school meals (one breakfast and one lunch at no cost each day throughout the school year). There is no need for parents to complete a meal application form to receive benefits for students at these schools. If students in the same household attend a school that was not designated as a CEP school, parents must complete a meal application for those other students to receive meal benefits.

Free and reduced-price meals are available all low-income families which meet the following requirements.