Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)

What happens if I choose not to fill out the CNEEB Application?

If a household does not complete the application, the delivery of programs and services in your child’s school may be impacted. Therefore, it is very important that every household accurately completes the application. It's more than a meal... it's about gaining benefits for your child, their friends, teacher, school and community!

NOTE: If you received a letter in the mail stating that you are "direct certified "(approval of meal benefits), then you do not need to fill out the CNEEB application. This letter means your child has been qualified through the state of Washington and no form is needed. If you did not receive this letter, please fill out the CNEEB application form for the benefit of your school programs and services.

What if my child attends a CEP school, but is overflowed to a non-CEP school? Are their meals free?

Unfortunately, no. Only CEP-designated schools are covered under the CEP benefit. Families may apply for the free and reduced-price meal program in our other schools. 

What menu options are covered under CEP?

Students can receive a full meal breakfast, which includes an entrée, fruit, juice and milk. Students can also receive a full meal lunch, which includes an entrée, fruit, a vegetable, and milk. Students must take the full meal and cannot just select one item or another. This provides a balanced nutritional offering to each student. 

What if students only want to purchase a single item – like a milk or an entrée?

CEP requires that only complete meals be served at no-cost in order to provide a balanced nutritional offering to each student. We encourage students and families to take advantage of this by planning accordingly. Individual ala carte items may be purchased, but please note that your student’s account will be charged if they do not take a complete meal.

What if I do not want my child to participate in CEP?

If you do not want your child to participate in CEP, you are always welcome to pack a lunch for your student.

Will the district share my information?

The information collected in the CNEEB application will be protected using the same protocol as the information collected through the free and reduced-price program applications. Families that wish to share their eligibility status for other program benefits, such as decreased fees to participate in other school programs, must fill out a "Consent to Share" form. This form is included with CNEEB application along with the on-line applications.

Where is the link for the CNEEB application?