Community Eligibility Information for Parents

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    Cumberland County Schools (CCS) Child Nutrition Services is excited to announce The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is being offered in seventy of our schools for the 2024-2025 school year. The provision enables each student enrolled in the participating schools to receive a breakfast and lunch at no charge on days when school is in session. Students enrolled at participating CEP schools are not required to submit a lunch application to receive meals at no charge.

    Schools participating in CEP for the 2024-2025 school year are:

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  • Elementary Schools:

    Alderman Road, Armstrong, Ashley, Loyd Auman, Ed Baldwin, Beaver Dam, Brentwood, W.T. Brown, Elizabeth Cashwell, Cliffdale, College Lakes, C. Wayne Collier, J.W. Coon, Cumberland Mills, Cumberland Road, District 7, Alma Easom, Eastover-Central, Ferguson-Easley, Gallberry Farm, Glendale Acres, Gray's Creek, Honeycutt, E. Melvin, Howard Hall, Bill Hefner, Lake Rim, Long Hill, Manchester, Ben Martin, Mary McArthur, E.E. Miller, Montclair, Morganton Road, New Century, W.H. Owen, Ponderosa, Raleigh Road, Rockfish, J.W. Seabrook, Sherwood Park, Lucile Souders, Stedman Elementary, Stedman Primary, Stoney Point, Sunnyside, Vanstory, Walker-Spivey, Warrenwood, Westarea, Margaret Willis

  • Middle Schools:

    Max Abbott, Douglas Byrd, Anne Chesnutt, Hope Mills, Howard Learning Academy, Luther Nick Jeralds, Lewis Chapel, New Century, Reid Ross, South View, Spring Lake, Westover

  • High Schools:

    Douglas Byrd, Ramsey Street, Reid Ross, Seventy-First, E.E. Smith, South View, Westover, A.B. Wilkins

  • Non CEP Middle Schools:

    Gray's Creek, John Griffin, Pine Forest Middle, Seventy-First Classical, Mac William

     

    Non CEP High Schools:

    Jack Britt, Cape Fear, Cross Creek Early College, Cumberland International Early College, Gray's Creek, Cumberland Polytechnic, Massey Hill, Pine Forest, Terry Sanford

  • Frequently Asked CEP Questions

    What does CEP mean for lunch applications?

    Schools that are participating in CEP will not distribute lunch applications to their students for the 2024-2025 school year. However, traditional and year-round schools that are not participating in CEP will continue to distribute lunch applications to students to be completed and returned to respective school cafeteria managers and then processed at the Child Nutrition main office to determine a student’s meal status.

     What if one sibling is attending a CEP school and the other is not?

    The student that is not attending the CEP school will need to submit a lunch application to apply for benefits. All students attending CCS, including those attending a CEP school, need to be listed on the lunch application. Please refer to the application example as to how to complete the lunch form. Please contact the Child Nutrition office at (910) 678-2595 for questions as to why one sibling may be receiving a meal at no charge and the other does not.

     What if a student is attending a CEP school, but is transferring to a non-CEP school?

    Although the student receives meals at no charge at the CEP school that does not mean the student will receive the same benefits if they transfer to a non-CEP school. If a student transfers from a CEP to a non-CEP school within the same county and the student is not otherwise eligible for meals at no charge (e.g., SNAP direct certification, homeless, migrant), an application must be submitted to the cafeteria manager or the CNS office, upon enrollment in the non-CEP school. Completed applications will be processed within 10 days after being received by the CNS office. 

    What if I do not see my student's school listed above in the table for CEP Schools?

    If you do not see a school listed above, then it is a non-CEP school. For a complete listing of non-CEP schools, click here.

    At a CEP site, may a student be charged for an incomplete meal if the student refuses to select the components required for a complete meal?

    Yes. This is the same policy at non-CEP schools. A student could select an incomplete meal. However, because the incomplete meals may not be claimed for Federal reimbursement, the student would be charged a la carte prices for the foods selected on their tray.

     Can students at a CEP school purchase additional food items?

    Yes. Students can purchase approved additional food items approved for a la carte sales. If you have any questions, please contact the Child Nutrition Office at (910) 678-2502.

  • In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

    To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.