BANGOR, Maine — Three Bangor schools with high percentages of students from low-income families will provide all students with free breakfast and lunch starting April 1.
The pilot program will launch at Downeast and Vine Street schools, which serve students in kindergarten through third grade, and Fairmount School, which serves grades four and five, and run through the end of the school year, according to Bangor Superintendent of Schools Betsy Webb.
The Maine Department of Education recently notified the district that those three schools qualify for the C ommunity Eligibility Provision, Webb said Tuesday. Under the provision, schools with a high percentage of students from families that receive TANF or SNAP benefits can apply to receive higher federal reimbursements for meals they serve to students. The higher reimbursements allow districts to provide free meals to all students in the school.
Webb said that the program could ultimately save the district some local tax money. Under the program, the federal government will reimburse the district $3.10 for every meal it serves. That’s significantly more than current reimbursement rates, which provide around 40 cents for every paid meal served.
Webb said the program could save the district local tax money by reducing the $50,000 it spends annually feeding students.
Those three schools have the highest rates of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch in the district. The free-and-reduced program is an option for families who meet certain federal poverty standards.
At Downeast School, 94 percent of students were eligible for the program during the 2014-15 school year, according to Maine Department of Education data. At Fairmount school, 73 percent of students qualified, and 63 percent at Vine Street.
Students at the seven other schools in the district who qualify for free-and-reduced lunch will still be able to participate, but families who don’t qualify will still have to pay for meals for now.
After the pilot program wraps up at the end of the school year, the Bangor School Department will decide whether it’s feasible to continue it next year.
More than 25 Maine schools participated in the CEP program this school year, according to MDOE. Those include five in Auburn, four in Portland and all eight schools in Lewiston.
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