Some Charlotte County Public Schools (CCPS) will soon lose their eligibility for the free meal program. Starting next school year, only certain schools can continue offering free breakfast and lunch to all students under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which is federally funded.
The CEP helps schools in low-income areas serve meals at no cost to every student, with no paperwork required. Since 2022, after Hurricane Ian, every CCPS school has been part of CEP, and all students have received free meals. That’s about to change. The federal government has updated the rules. Now, only schools with enough students directly certified for assistance programs like SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid can qualify. Some schools no longer meet the cutoff.
For the next four years, these eight CCPS schools will continue to provide free meals to every student:
Peace River Elementary School
Baker/Pre-K Center
The Academy
Neil Armstrong Elementary School
Kingsway Elementary School
Meadow Park Elementary School
Port Charlotte Middle School
Murdock Middle School
The rest of the schools are coming off the CEP program for the next four years. Here’s the complete list:
Deep Creek Elementary School
East Elementary School
Liberty Elementary School
Myakka River Elementary School
Sallie Jones Elementary School
Vineland Elementary School
Charlotte Harbor Center
L.A. Ainger Middle School
Punta Gorda Middle School
Charlotte High School
Port Charlotte High School
Lemon Bay High SchoolIf your child attends a school losing CEP eligibility, you’ll need to fill out a Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application starting July 1, 2026. You can do this in the Focus Parent Portal as part of your regular enrollment process. Approval depends on your household income, and if you qualify, your child can still get free or reduced-price meals. If you need help with the application or have questions, call CCPS Food and Nutrition Service at 941-575-5400 or click here.
