Retroactively effective Jan. 1, 2024, all students at all schools in Newberg-Dundee Public Schools will once again be eligible for free meals.
Under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), the School District can provide school lunch and breakfast at no charge to all students. Schools or districts must have a required percentage of students identified for free meals and must agree to serve free breakfast and lunch to all students.
In the spring of 2023, the Oregon Department of Education notified the School District that it no longer qualified to provide free meals for all schools under CEP. Individual students at local schools and all students at Catalyst Alternative High School could still receive free meals. However, free meals were no longer available to all students at all schools districtwide.
Newberg-Dundee staff worked together for months to ensure that the percentage of identified students was calculated correctly to certify for CEP. Federal and state guidelines for CEP changed in late fall of 2023, which allowed the School District to request CEP recertification mid-year. After an intensive staff effort, ODE once again declared that the School District is allowed to provide free meals to all students at all schools within its boundaries. The district will not have to recertify for CEP again until April of 2027. Free meals are guaranteed until June 30, 2027.
Beginning on March 1, refunds will be given to families who purchased meals in January. However, any charges made before Jan. 1, 2024, such as in the fall, will not be cleared, so some families may still have a negative balance.
If you’re interested in donating your January payments to outstanding balances at your school:
- Email Nutrition Services Secretary Charlynn Richlick by Feb. 16 at [email protected].
- Put the word “Donation” in the subject line.
- Include the full names of your students and/or their ID numbers, the school that each child attends, and the amount that you would like to donate from your account.