Starting this school year, some students in the southside will be able to have free breakfast and lunch.

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a powerful new tool that allows high poverty schools and school divisions to offer breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge. In addition, the measure streamlines school meal operations by eliminating the need to collect and process school meal applications.

Any school that has 40 percent or more “identified students” can participate in CEP. Identified students include children who are directly certified (through data matching) for free meals because they are in foster care or Head Start, are homeless, are migrant, or are living in households that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).

According to the Virginia Hunger Solutions website, there are 12 schools in Danville that are currently participating in CEP. There are also 13 schools in Martinsville and Henry County participating.

To see the full list of schools participating across the southside and state click here.