09-11-2026, 07:20 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-11-2026, 09:10 PM by leilanidude.)
The great news now is that, starting this school year, the income threshold for eligibility for lunch assistance increases to 300% of poverty level so 90+% ish - to almost universal qualification of kids in Puna is very likely.
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All of the Puna schools already qualified for ALL students to have free lunch, several years ago. There is a % that is used to calculate whether they all get it or not and if that % of students already on SNAP is high enough, the school qualifies.
edit to add:
Key Rules of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
The Threshold: A school or school district must have a minimum percentage of "identified students"—children directly certified as eligible for free meals because they participate in programs like SNAP, TANF, or are foster, homeless, or runaway youth.
The Percentage: Under updated federal rules, a school district or school group must have an identified student percentage (ISP) of at least 25% to qualify to offer universal free breakfast and lunch.
Reimbursement Formula: The federal government reimburses the school using a formula based on multiplying the identified student percentage by a specific federal multiplier (currently 1.6). Schools with higher percentages receive full or near-full coverage for the cost of all meals served.
-----------
All of the Puna schools already qualified for ALL students to have free lunch, several years ago. There is a % that is used to calculate whether they all get it or not and if that % of students already on SNAP is high enough, the school qualifies.
edit to add:
Key Rules of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
The Threshold: A school or school district must have a minimum percentage of "identified students"—children directly certified as eligible for free meals because they participate in programs like SNAP, TANF, or are foster, homeless, or runaway youth.
The Percentage: Under updated federal rules, a school district or school group must have an identified student percentage (ISP) of at least 25% to qualify to offer universal free breakfast and lunch.
Reimbursement Formula: The federal government reimburses the school using a formula based on multiplying the identified student percentage by a specific federal multiplier (currently 1.6). Schools with higher percentages receive full or near-full coverage for the cost of all meals served.