On Tuesday, Dec. 19, KCS informed families at 25 district schools that free breakfast and lunch meals will be provided to all students at those schools, beginning on January 4.

During the fall semester, students at the district’s 38 Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools – which are designated as part of the National School Lunch Program – received free breakfast and lunch.

Due to a change in the federal CEP threshold and a change in policy by the Tennessee Department of Education, KCS can now expand the district’s CEP program on a pilot basis. With the addition of 25 new schools, the total number of CEP schools will be 63 during the spring semester. The list below shows existing and new CEP schools, with the new schools designated by an asterisk (*).

This change will be in place for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year. KCS Nutrition will evaluate program data in the late spring of 2024 to assess whether it is feasible to continue this initiative in future school years.

“Our goal is to always do what is best for the students and families of Knox County Schools,” said Brett Foster, Executive Director of Child Nutrition. “We believe this pilot program will be of immediate assistance to families at these schools, and we are pleased to be able to provide it.”

A complete list of CEP schools is below. Schools that will become eligible on January 4 are marked with an asterisk.