Starting this fall, all students in the Ithaca City School District will receive free breakfast and lunch, thanks to new funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Program. The district announced Friday that the program will cover the cost of meals for the next four school years, with no impact on local taxes.
Previously, only six ICSD schools participated in the program, representing 30.6% of the district’s enrollment. Now, all students, regardless of income or school, benefit from the universal free meal plan.
The expansion is in line with a broader effort to increase access to free school meals across the country. The program also reduces administrative costs because families no longer have to apply for meal assistance. Other districts in the county, including Dryden, Groton and Newfield, already offer similar programs.
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