Students in Greenbrier County Schools will have the opportunity to eat breakfast and lunch at school at no cost.

The county is participating in a program called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This year we will have the six schools from previous years and add White Sulphur Elementary School.

The CEP was enacted as a result of the Healthy, Hunger – Free Kids Act and provides universal meal service to children in high poverty areas. This is the fourth year for the option. The CEP is an alternative to collecting, approving and verifying household eligibility applications for free and reduced price eligible students in high poverty Local Education Agencies. If at least 40 percent of a school’s students are directly certified for free meal benefits, the entire school qualifies for the option.

Greenbrier County expects to have seven elementary schools participate in the CEP program. The seven elementary schools participating are Alderson Elementary, Crichton Elementary, Rainelle Elementary, Ronceverte Elementary, Rupert Elementary, Smoot Elementary, and White Sulphur Elementary. The program allows the school system to feed nearly 1600 students each day.

“I am proud that Greenbrier County Schools will be participating in the CEP program to help meet a crucial need for student success in our county,” said Jeff Bryant, superintendent. “We know academic achievement increases when our students are well fed and ready to learn and we must provide access so all students have a chance to achieve.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released data reporting high levels of food insecurity and hunger across the country. In West Virginia, over 14 percent of residents live in food insecure households and more than 100,000 children live below the poverty line.

For more information contact Greenbrier County Schools, Jennifer Curry, child nutrition coordinator, 304-647-6462.

Greenbrier County Schools is an equal opportunity provider.