By Nathan Prewett, For the Tribune
LEEDS – Director of Child Nutrition Anita Carlise gave a presentation for the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) that provides free breakfast and lunch to students during a meeting of the Leeds Board of Education on May 9.
The possibility of adopting a free breakfast and lunch program has been discussed since before the COVID pandemic, said Superintendent John Moore, but it was uncertain how financially feasible this was.
But new policies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) may make this easier to do, he said. Carlise recently attended a conference in Montgomery where she learned of CEP.
CEP aims to do a number of things, which are: to reduce administrative paperwork and improve financial feasibility of school nutrition programs, maximize federal reimbursements, eliminate school meal debt, increase school meal participation, eliminate the stigma of school meals and more easily implement models such as Grab and Go breakfast, Breakfast in the Classroom, and Breakfast after the Bell.
She explained that schools that implement CEP are reimbursed by using a formula based on the percentage of students who qualify for free meals with their participation in other programs such as SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
Students under these are Directly Certified or DC students and are electronically matched through a process of the Alabama State Department and the Alabama Department of Human Resources. Medicaid takes these and gives a percentage to schools.
Previously, the Leeds school district’s percentage was not enough until recently. With CEP schools have to have a percentage of 40% or higher and Leeds has 53%.
“They multiply that number by 1.6,” she said. “And we get (85.4%). So when we feed all our kids free, 85.4%, we will get a free reimbursement for that 85.4% of meals served.”
Moore explained that if a student receives a free lunch, the district gets a $4.40 reimbursement and if a student buys a lunch the district gets an 80-cent reimbursement from the USDA.
Carlise clarified that meal policies may change in the next few years with legislation and Medicaid expansion. After further discussion, the board determined to make a decision by June 30.
Chief Financial Officer Ryan Miller gave his report for the month ending on March 31. 64.00% of the general fund revenue was received. 98.08% of the local revenues were received, up 5.10% from this time in 2022.
The month was ended with an excess of revenues over expenditures in the general fund of $2,589,129. The unreserved fund balance was $6,735,035.
After passing several items on the agenda, the board heard an update from Burke Wren, who is Director of Elementary Education and Federal Programs, on summer activities. He said that 74 were enrolled for summer camp and 165 for the summer enrichment program.
“The response has been just tremendous,” he said. “But that’s a testament to the folks in our district that provide this value and service every year.”
He added that training for those overseeing the program will begin next week that includes CPR and staff training.
Lastly, Moore announced that he has been meeting with an architect on further designs on the middle school’s stadium and that graduation is set for May 25 at 6 p.m. at the Church of the Highlands.
Moore also announced that Jeff Hudson will be stepping down from the board. He has been with the board since 2016. Moore presented him with a plaque.
“You know, I get paid for this,” he told the board. “But y’all don’t get paid and I have to always remind myself of that. You’re asked to do a lot and to never get paid, so the least we can do is say, ‘Thank you.’ Well, thank you for your valuable service.”
Board President Kathy Dutton added, “I would like to say that I’ve gained a friend in Jeff. I know that if I need something at two in the morning, I’m going to call him.”
In other business, the board:
- Elected its officers for 2023-2024 with all board members to continue their roles,
- Adopted K-5 English Language Arts textbooks,
- Approved a revised job description for central office secretary and
- Approved recompiling Moore’s contract.
The next meeting will be held on June 13, at 6:30 p.m., at the Leeds Board of Education Building on 1517 Hurst Avenue.
Nathan Prewett can be reached at nthomasp6@gmail.com.