All McCracken Students to Get Free Meals This Year

All McCracken County Public Schools students will have access to free meals starting this school year.

The school system said Thursday in a press release that it has qualified to offer free meals to all its students through the federal Community Eligibility Provision program based on its percentage of "direct certified" students in the district. This refers to the number of homeless, migrant, foster and SNAP-eligible children in the district who automatically qualify for free meals.

Sara Jane Hedges, food services director for MCPS, says student participation is key to maintain full-CEP status in years to come. "We are so excited to offer all of our students healthy, full-component, high-quality meals at zero cost," she said, adding that the program will mean huge savings for families.

As part of the program, all parents must complete a home income form located on the food service page on the district website. The form provides information the district uses to secure CEP funding, as well as other federal and state funding to support students.