Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
More schools and districts are offering free school meals through Community Eligibility Provision, but proposed cuts to SNAP could leave children hungry.
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2025 — A new report from the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Community Eligibility: The Key to Hunger-Free Schools — School Year 2024–2025, reveals a continued upward trend in the adoption of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows high-need schools to offer breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge.
During the 2024–2025 school year, 27.2 million students attended one of the 54,234 schools participating in CEP, a 15.3 percent increase from the previous year. Adoption also increased among school districts, with 64.4 percent of eligible districts (8,872 school districts) participating in CEP.
Despite this progress, FRAC warns that Congressional Republicans proposals to weaken the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s first line of defense against hunger, and an important tool in determining children’s eligibility for free school meals are an urgent threat to CEP.
“Each year, CEP has reached more students, reducing hunger and stigma in school cafeterias,” said FRAC President Crystal FitzSimons. “But that progress would be put at risk if Congress cuts SNAP. Fewer students in SNAP-participating households mean fewer schools would be eligible for community eligibility. We can’t let that happen.”
Without CEP, schools face the burden of processing school meal forms, collecting meal fees, and enforcing payment of school meal debt. Innovative service models such as breakfast in the classroom could also be harder to implement.
“We urge Congress to protect and strengthen both CEP and SNAP, so children have access to the food they need at school and at home, and work towards building a nation free from hunger. The well-being of our children, families, and schools depends on it,” added FitzSimons.
FRAC also calls on Congress to pass legislation, including the Expanding Access to School Meals Act (H.R. 2680) and the School Meal Modernization and Hunger Elimination Act (S. 1431); to increase CEP reimbursement; strengthen direct certification; and move the country closer to Healthy School Meals for All students.
“Children can’t learn on an empty stomach,” said FitzSimons. “Congress has the tools to fight child hunger in America and support their health and learning. Strengthening CEP is one of the most proven ways to do it.”
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The Food Research & Action Center improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.
