Meal program update

Beginning December 1, 2023, all students in the North Syracuse Central School District (NSCSD) will be eligible to receive school meals as part of the USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Program. 

CEP is a simplified meal service option that allows schools to provide meals at no cost to all students without requiring families to apply for free and reduced-price meals. Instead, school districts receive federal funding based on a formula using existing data from SNAP and other programs, and local or state funds must fill any gap between program costs and federal support. 

In September, most schools in the NSCSD became eligible for free breakfast and lunch under the same program but Lakeshore and Cicero Elementary School and Gillette Road Middle School were excluded. Since then, the USDA lowered the required share of low-income students from 40% to 25%, allowing all students in the NSCSD to be eligible for free meals. 

NSCSD Superintendent of Schools Dan Bowles commented on the eligibility update saying, “I am thrilled that all students in the district will now receive free school meals through this program. Our students should never have to worry about being hungry.” 

NEXT STEPS FOR FAMILIES

• We are requesting that all families fill out a brief CEP Household Income Eligibility Form to assist with the process for continued state funding. Please submit this form to the food services office or email to wswift@nscsd.org. Only one form submission per household is required. If you previously filled out the form for a child at another school, you do not need to resubmit. 
• If you utilize MySchoolBucks for meal payments, you will no longer need to add funds to your account after November 30, 2023, unless your student wishes to purchase a second breakfast/lunch or food item a la carte. If your child has an outstanding balance on their account, payment can be submitted through MySchoolBucks or check payments can be made to NSCSD Food Services and submitted to cafeteria staff.

If you have any questions, contact Food Services Director Wendy Swift at 315-218-2175.