NAMPA, Idaho — The Nampa School District will continue offering free breakfast and lunch to all students at three elementary schools for the 2025-2026 school year through a federal program that eliminates the need for meal applications.
Central Elementary, Endeavor Elementary, and Sherman Elementary will participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, which provides free meals to all enrolled students regardless of family income.
The federal initiative allows schools in eligible areas to serve free meals to all students, removing the application process for free or reduced-price meals. The program aims to ensure all children have daily access to meals to support academic performance and overall well-being. Any food leftover is repurposed back into the program or discarded if it's not safe to serve another day.
While Central and Sherman Elementary have participated in the program for several years, this marks the second year for Endeavor Elementary.
Students attending other Nampa School District schools may still apply for the traditional free and reduced-price meal program, as the CEP program is limited to the three designated schools.
Under the CEP program, schools receive reimbursement from the USDA based on a formula using the percentage of students directly certified for free meals. This percentage, called the Identified Student Percentage, is multiplied by 1.6 to determine the percentage of meals reimbursed at the free rate, with remaining meals reimbursed at the paid rate.
