Free CISD Meals for In Person Elementary and All Virtual Students

10/4/2020 11:19 pm

CISD will offer free meals to all in-person elementary students and all virtual students (PK-12 and all children under 18) through the end of December 2020.  The district can do this thanks to a national waiver recently issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Texas Department of Agriculture. This waiver allows CISD to offer meals at no charge for all in-person elementary school students and all virtual learners picking up weekly bundle meals. 

Beginning on Oct. 1, CISD will begin providing free meals to in-person elementary and virtual learners as part of the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program. Sponsored by the USDA and TDA, this program will allow any student in an elementary school to receive a free breakfast and lunch meal in the school cafeteria, with the option to purchase a-la-carte items. 

Additionally, CISD will offer meal bundles for all virtual learners (PK-12) at no cost.  Bundle meals may be picked up on Wednesdays at Austin Elementary from 4 to 6 p.m. The meal bundles will include five breakfast, five lunches and a choice of chocolate or white half pint of milk (10 milks will be provided). Heating and holding instructions will be included so that families can prepare the meals at their convenience.  Sign up is required weekly for virtual learners to receive these meals at go.coppellisd.com/CurbsideOrderForm.  

CISD’s middle schools and high schools do not participate in this federally funded program, so meals will be charged as normal in those cafeterias for in person middle and high school students. However, middle and high school students, who are learning virtually, are able to pick up a meal bundle from the curbside location at no cost, as long as they sign up in advance. 

Parents or guardians  are encouraged to continue filling out the Fee and Reduced Lunch Application online at www.schoollunchapp.com. There are additional benefits from being approved for free or reduced-price meals, which may include discounts for transportation, standardized tests, college application fees, technology fees and more.  If you have any questions, please email jmosley@coppellisd.com or call 214-496-8050.

For more information on how the federal program operates please visit www.squaremeals.org or www.fns.usda.gov.