DURHAM, NC — A school district in North Carolina is now ensuring that every student receives free breakfast and lunch at school, regardless of their parents’ income.
Durham Public Schools is the first school district in the state to implement free lunch for all as part of a community eligibility program established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For Michelle Vaughan at Easley Elementary School, lunch has always been the busiest part of the day.
“It’s a little hectic sometimes, but it’s worth it,” Vaughan said. “You see the kids coming in excited and waiting for their food.”
Vaughan said it’s been even busier since the district began offering free breakfast and lunch to all students.
It’s a bit of trial and error to estimate how many meals to prepare. Last year, this elementary school averaged 150 lunches in the cafeteria. With the new program, that number will rise to 278. Vaughan said she knows how much free meals can mean to each family.
Michelle Vaughan serves lunch to students at Easley Elementary School. (Spectrum News 1/Jenna Rae Gaertner)
“When my son was in school, my two oldest got reduced or free admission, but with my last one, we always had to pay for his lunch,” Vaughan said. “And sometimes it’s hard when you have to pay for lunch, even when you live in a household with two working parents.”
Linden Thayer, deputy director of food system planning, said the new program will help families regardless of their income.
“This really helps us advance some of our great core values and goals as a district, including working toward equity for all of our students,” Thayer said.
The Community Eligibility Provision is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that focuses on low-income households. Although DPS does not receive full reimbursement because not all children are eligible, it has taken the extra step to provide equal services to all students. It is hoped that the program will help remove the stigma surrounding free school meals.
“Lunch and breakfast become a class of sorts, right?” Thayer said. “You’re just expected to show up for English class. You’re expected to just show up and participate in science classes. And now you can come to breakfast and lunch classes, too.”
She said that on average, a family with two children saves about $1,200 in benefits because their students have access to these free meals. Vaughan came out of retirement after five months just to do this job because she loves the kids.
“It’s wonderful,” Vaughan said. “Some of them come here, you know, they’re having a bad day sometimes, especially in the morning. And, you know, you kind of cheer them up and they brighten your day when you see that smile on their face.”
Some schools in Durham have participated in CEP since its implementation in 2014. Last year, only 28 schools in the district participated. The district-wide free lunch and breakfast program is also part of the larger Growing Together initiative that Durham Public Schools implemented this year. Its goal is to reduce racial and socioeconomic segregation by promoting diversity, giving students more choices in school selection, and ensuring that emotional and social well-being are more strongly supported.
