KUSD staff propose reverting districtwide CEP to targeted schools and update negative-balance rules

Food-service staff asked the board to approve returning from a district-wide Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to targeted CEP participation for qualifying schools, citing ongoing cost pressure on Fund 50. Staff said operating the district-wide CEP is costing the food-service fund about $250,000 per month and is not sustainable without additional nonfederal contributions.

Staff explained CEP works by using school-level direct-cert and other data; many district students are directly certified (staff estimated about 8,000 matches) which had supported a district-wide CEP earlier. To make CEP sustainable, staff proposed limiting district-wide CEP and applying CEP only where school-level data support it; non-CEP schools would revert to a free/reduced application process with a 30-day carryover period to avoid abrupt loss of meals for students.

The related rule change to the school nutrition program removes district-wide language and clarifies negative-balance thresholds and alternative-meal practices; staff said elementary students who hit a negative threshold would be offered a limited alternative (graham crackers, applesauce and milk), while middle and high-school students would receive notices and weekly communications to families. Staff outlined communication plans including ParentSquare, open houses and targeted outreach to non-CEP schools.

Why it matters: reverting from a district-wide CEP affects how families access free or reduced meals and will require active communication to families in non-CEP schools. It also affects Fund 50 budgeting and reimbursement flows.

Next steps: staff will seek board approval to move toward targeted CEP use and will implement multiple outreach channels before the fall implementation window.