May 21, 2025 - Beginning next school year, there will be 37 schools that will no longer be providing free lunch meals through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Rather, families of students enrolled in these schools will need to complete a free or reduced-price meal application or be Directly Certified by the State to receive assistance with meals.
This will be a change for many families as the district has been able to provide meals at no cost to all students regardless of school since March 2020 thanks to pandemic-related funding.
However, following a review of the district’s budget going into the 2025-26 school year, district leaders determined that providing universal free meals regardless of school or need was no longer sustainable without the pandemic-related funding.
Background
Most schools in the district qualify as CEP schools. This means that 40 percent of students enrolled in these schools are eligible for free or reduced-price meals through other programs, such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), or Medicaid. Prior to March 2020, school lunches were provided at no cost to students enrolled in CEP schools, while families in non-CEP schools needed to apply for Free and Reduced Lunch if assistance was needed.
However, beginning in March 2020, Duval County Public Schools began providing lunch meals at no cost to all students regardless of school through additional federal funding following the advent of COVID. This continued through the 2020-2021 through 2024-2025 school years.
Lunch meals will continue to be provided at no cost to students in CEP schools going into the 2025-26 school year. However, the 37 schools identified as non-CEP schools will no longer be eligible for free lunch without applying or being directly certified.
Next Steps
There is no action required for families of students enrolled in a CEP school. For families of students enrolled in one of the 37 non-CEP schools, please note the following:
To receive assistance with the cost of school lunch, you will need to apply for free or reduced-price meals.
The application will be available online the first week in August, and we encourage families to apply.
All students will continue to receive lunch at no cost for the first 30 operating days of the school year OR until a new meal eligibility status determination is made, whichever comes first. Meal eligibility is established through the processing of a Free & Reduced-Price Meal Application or Direct Certification.
If your child receives benefits such as SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid, they will be automatically approved for free or reduced-price meals by Direct Certification.
Breakfast will continue to be provided at no cost to all students at all schools through the federal Universal Free Breakfast Program.
List of Schools
Alden Road Exceptional Student Center
Alimacani Elementary
Anchor Academy Elementary
Atlantic Beach Elementary
Atlantic Coast High
Baldwin Jr/Sr
Bartram Springs Elementary
Chets Creek Elementary
Darnell Cookman Jr/Sr
Douglas Anderson High
Fishweir Elementary
Fletcher High
Fletcher Middle
Greenland Pines Elementary
Hendricks Avenue Elementary
J Allen Axson Elementary
Jacksonville Beach Elementary
James Weldon Johnson Middle
John Stockton Elementary
Julia Landon Middle
Lavilla Middle
Loretto Elementary
Louis Sheffield Elementary
Mandarin High
Mandarin Middle
Mandarin Oaks Elementary
Mayport Elementary
Mayport Middle
Neptune Beach Elementary
New Berlin Elementary
Paxon High
Sabal Palm Elementary
Samuel W Wolfson High
San Pablo Elementary
Sandalwood High
Seabreeze Elementary
Stanton High