Special Provisions
In an effort to reduce paperwork at the local level, Congress has incorporated into Section 11(a)(1) of the National School Lunch Act four alternative provisions to the normal requirements for annual determinations of eligibility for free and reduced price school meals and daily meal counts by type (free, reduced price and paid meals) at the point of service.
Not currently used by any schools in Maine.
Reduces application burdens and simplifies meal counting and claiming procedures. Allows schools to establish claiming percentages and serve all meals at no charge for a four-year period. During the first year (base year), the school makes eligibility determinations and takes meal counts by type. During the next three years, the school makes no new eligibility determinations and counts only the total number of reimbursable meals served each day.
Not currently used by any schools in Maine.
Schools do not collect Meal Applications. The number of free eligible students is determined by comparing the number of enrolled students on the Direct Certification (DC) list to total enrollment. The DC percentage must be at least 40% for a school or district to participate. That percentage is then multiplied by 1.6 to determine the free claiming rate. No money is collected from students for reimbursable meals.
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
The CEP allows schools that predominantly serve low-income children to offer free, nutritious school meals to all students through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. The CEP uses information from other programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) instead of traditional paper applications.
The document below shows school districts in Maine that as of April 1, 2024 are eligible or near eligible to participate in CEP. To participate, the district must validate the number of enrolled students to the number of students on the DC list, Homeless, Migrant and Head Start. This is not an automatic eligibility.
- USDA CEP Annual Notification of Eligibility/Near Eligibility (May 1, 2026)
- Community Eligibility Provision Webinar
- Sample Media Release for Special Provision Schools
- SP 08-2024: Planning and Implementation Guidance
- SP 09-2024: Guidance and Updated Q&A
- SP 10-2024: Annual Notification and Publication
- SP 11-2024: State Agency Procedures to Ensure ISP
- Worksheet: Calculating Identified Student Percentage
- State Agency Checklist for ISP
- CEP Implementation and Guidance (February 2024)
- USDA CEP Resource Center
Contact
David Hartley
Child Nutrition Specialist
Phone: 207-624-6842
Email: David.Hartley@maine.gov