Riverhead Students Receive Breakfast and Lunch at No Charge
The Riverhead Central School District Will Provide Healthy School Food to All Students at No Cost
RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK (SEPTEMBER 2022) — All students enrolled in Riverhead Central School District, regardless of income level, are now eligible to receive a healthy school breakfast and lunch at no charge each day. This is being achieved through the district’s implementation of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2022-2023 school year. No further action is required of families. Students will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit a meal application!
“Nutrition is crucial to succeeding academically and socially, so we are thrilled to be providing students with this opportunity,” said Riverhead Central School District Superintendent Dr. Augustine E. Tornatore. “Providing healthy school breakfast and lunch at no cost relieves students of any stress related to the purchase of food and enhances their brainpower throughout the day.”
The free and reduced meal applications no longer need to be filled out. Instead, the household income form will be used to determine additional state and federal programs that students may qualify for. These forms are vitally important to continue the district’s eligibility under the CEP moving forward; therefore, families are encouraged to complete them.
While all students are eligible for a free breakfast and lunch, additional a la carte items may be purchased. Students can pay in cash, or parents/guardians may prepay at any time by making payments online using the link to EZSchoolpay or sending a check or money order, made payable to the Riverhead School Lunch Fund.
The CEP is a new alternative to the traditional meal application process associated with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs. The CEP alleviates the burden on families by eliminating household applications, while helping schools reduce costs associated with collecting and processing those applications. For more information about the CEP, please contact the Riverhead Central School District Food Services Manager, Keith Graham, at 631-369-6749 or via email at keith.graham@g.riverhead.net or visit USDA.gov/school-meals/communityeligibility-provision.