Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
980-290-7282
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2026 — During the 2025–2026 school year, a record 55,362 schools offered breakfast and lunch to all their students through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), according to a new report released today by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC).
The Community Eligibility: The Key to Hunger-Free Schools, School Year 2025–2026 report looks at participation in CEP, a federal option that allows high-need schools and school districts to offer breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge. This year’s findings show 27.6 million children attended a CEP school, 386,019 more than the previous year.
“More schools are demonstrating that offering healthy school meals to every student at no charge is a game changer for children, families, and schools,” said Crystal FitzSimons, president of FRAC. “Healthy School Meals for All reduces hunger; supports health, academic achievement, and attendance; removes the stigma often associated with free or reduced-price school meals; eases the pressure on families’ household budgets at a time when many are struggling to afford basic needs; reduces administrative work; and eliminates school meal debt, allowing schools to focus on serving healthy and appealing meals. Congress must make it easier for eligible schools to participate in CEP.”
Despite CEP’s benefits, barriers, particularly inadequate federal reimbursement, prevent many eligible schools from adopting CEP. These challenges will only intensify as a result of the 2025 budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1), which enacted severe and unprecedented cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Schools directly certify children who participate in SNAP for free school meals, which helps determine whether a school qualifies for CEP and how much federal reimbursement it receives. As SNAP participation drops dramatically due to the cuts, and fewer children are directly certified, schools may lose eligibility for CEP or find that it is no longer financially viable to participate.
“Without congressional action to reverse the SNAP cuts, children will lose critical food benefits that help families keep hunger at bay, and the progress we have made on Healthy School Meals for All could unravel,” said FitzSimons.
FRAC urges Congress to reverse H.R. 1’s cuts to SNAP by passing the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025, or addressing them in funding bills or other legislative vehicles that are moving forward. Looking ahead, Congress must pass a national Healthy School Meals for All policy to ensure no child faces hunger during the school day.
Read the full report and search FRAC’s online database to find CEP-eligible and CEP-adopting schools in your state and local community.
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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 LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.