Albion seeks to offer free breakfasts and lunches to all students; awaiting state approval

ALBION – The Albion school district is seeking state approval for free breakfasts and lunches to be offered to all students this school year.

Albion has applied to the state Department of Education to be included in the Community Eligibility Provision of the National School Breakfast/Lunch Program.

To qualify, a district or school building must have an Identified Student Percent (ISP) of at least 40 percent. Albion is at 51 percent, and that number has increased since Albion last looked at being in the program in 2018, said Rick Recckio, Albion’s school business administrator.

The ISP isn’t determined by student eligible for free and reduced lunch. Instead it depends on SNAP and Medicaid recipients identified through the electronic direct certification matching process (DCMP) and extension of these eligibility benefits to siblings or other household members not matched. It also includes homeless children identified by the homeless liaison, Head Start students, migrant, runaway and foster children certified directly by the state or local foster agency, Recckio said.

“We submitted our application to the state and we are working with them to transition to CEP from our current program allowing all students to have free breakfast and lunch,” he said. “This is not a guarantee as the state needs to approve us in order to offer this program. This would be funded by the state and federal government.”

Recckio and Albion school officials are hoping the state Education Department will make a decision on Albion’s application before the start of the school year.

The state budget for 2023-24 increased state spending by $134 million for school districts to participate in CEP.

“For kids to be successful in school, they can’t sit there with their stomachs growling — they’re hungry,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in announcing the funding increase. “They need nutritious food to focus and thrive.”