Austin ISD Expands Free Meal Access for Students in Low-Income Areas

Due to federal and state funds aimed at increasing access to healthy meals, the Austin Independent School District announced that all students at 76 campuses will receive complimentary breakfast and lunch during the 2025–26 school year.

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a government program, makes the free meals possible. It allows schools in low-income areas to serve breakfast and lunch for free to all enrolled students, regardless of their families' income.

ASD stated, "We are proud to offer this help to our students." "Reduced-price meal recipients will get both breakfast and lunch for free during the 2025–26 school year, thanks to money from the Texas Legislature."

Students will still get meals at sites that are not part of CEP, depending on whether they are free, reduced-price, or paid. With the new funding, however, everyone who qualifies for reduced-price meals will typically not have to pay for breakfast or lunch during the school year.

Officials from the district said they worked closely with local groups to identify children who were eligible for free or low-cost meals under federal guidelines. They said that working together helps ensure that kids who need help receive it and that no student goes hungry at school.

As part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, school districts across the country have adopted the CEP program to make it easier for children to access meals. Because schools participating in the program are exempt from filling out individual meal forms, it simplifies the process for administrators and reduces the social pressure associated with receiving free meals.

Leaders in AISD said that providing students with free meals at more schools is part of a larger plan to help them stay healthy and succeed academically. Researchers have found that children who can reliably eat breakfast and lunch are more focused in class, attend school more frequently, and perform better academically.

The AISD website provides a comprehensive list of all 76 sites participating in the CEP program for the 2025–26 year. Meal status forms for sites that are not CEP will still be online and in school offices.

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