12 Salt Lake City schools getting free breakfast and lunch this school year
Sep 11, 2023, 4:00 PM
FILE: Students eat lunch on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. On Thursday, the latest version of a bill that proposes to make school lunch free for kids who are currently getting reduced price lunches is headed to the governor's desk. (Ben B. Braun, Deseret News)
(Ben B. Braun, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Students at 12 Salt Lake City schools will all be getting free school breakfast and lunch this school year thanks to a federal program.
The 12 schools all qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision, CEP. The program looks at the number of families applying for other government assistance programs, like food stamps.
Because so many of the students at those schools rely on government programs, they also qualify for free school breakfast and lunch.
This means each student will get the free food without having to apply for it.
Through the CEP, the Salt Lake City School District will be reimbursed for the costs of the meals.
Which schools qualify?
- Backman Elementary
- Edison Elementary
- Franklin Elementary
- Mountain View Elementary
- Mary W. Jackson Elementary
- Liberty Elementary
- M. Lynn Bennion Elementary
- Meadowlark Elementary
- Riley Elementary
- Rose Park Elementary
- Glendale Middle School
- Horizonte Instruction and Training Center –registered K-12 students only
Set up for success
District Spokeswoman Yandary Chatwin said the program will make a huge difference.
“Those two out of three meals a day that families don’t have to worry about for their child and the fact that these schools have that opportunity for students is going to make sure students are set up for success every single day,” she said.
Chatwin said that although a majority of their students actually qualify in some way for the meals, having the program schoolwide will help students avoid a negative stigma.
For families who aren’t at these 12 schools, Chatwin said the district still wants them to apply for free school lunches.
“We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to eat,” Chatwin said. “This is about meeting basic human needs and setting our kids up for success.”
Families outside of the 12 schools can fill out an application on the SLCSD website.
Related: Salt Lake City School District providing free UTA passes to students, guardians
