Dade County Board estimates cost of new free lunch program – Discover Dade
The USDA declares CEP as a no-cost meal service option for schools in low-income areas. CEP allows schools and districts with the highest poverty rates in the country to provide breakfast and lunch for free to all enrolled students without the need to collect household enrollment.
Instead, schools that implement CEP will be reimbursed for their costs based on a formula that depends on the percentage of students who are categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other means-tested programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Jenn Bowden, a nutritionist for Dade County Schools, told the board she would like to offer a free breakfast or lunch to every student, but based on her analysis, participating in CEP would actually cost the school system more than it currently pays. “And there really is no such thing as a free lunch, someone pays for it.”
After providing a month-by-month breakdown of last year’s food and labor costs for Dade County Schools compared to likely reimbursements, Bowden projected a department deficit of nearly $265,000 with CEP participation.
She lamented that food prices had risen significantly, quipping that “Pop-Tarts have doubled in price,” but at the same time proclaimed that Dade County schools have the most affordable meal program in northwest Georgia.
Last year, about 879 of the 2,023 students enrolled systemwide received free or reduced-price meals. Bowden says with those numbers in mind, Dade Schools likely would have achieved an ISP rating of 43.45.
A result that Bowden said would have resulted in a relatively low reimbursement rate from the USDA. She also noted that the quality of the meals would also likely decline compared to what is currently served in Dade’s cafeterias.
Bowden noted that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has approved free, state-paid breakfasts and lunches for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade for the second year in a row.
Board member Dr. Jane Griffith asked Bowden why members should even consider the CEP proposal, to which Bowden quickly replied that she did not support the proposal, she had simply been given the task of determining the potential financial impact.
Bowden concluded that Dade’s ISP for the Community Eligibility Provision, and therefore the associated refunds, would be higher if there were more families in the school system using SNAP, TANF, and other social assistance programs.
Josh Ingle, superintendent of schools in Dade County, says he asked the system to study the potential pros and cons of the federal program after a neighboring county decided to participate.
Ingle proposed continuing the system with the current free and reduced meal initiative, not CEP. The membership panel agreed.
More news from the board: Dade County High School’s auditorium will soon be undergoing a major upgrade of the sound and lighting systems. The board has approved a purchase request to replace the sound system originally installed when the facility was built.
Barring inclement weather, a new concrete slab will be poured at the Davis Elementary School construction site on Friday. Superintendent Ingle says meetings with the owner, architect and contractor are held every two months and the April 25 completion date remains a realistic goal.
The board also wants to replace a twenty-year-old roof on the lower building at Davis Elementary next year. It plans to do so with a fiscal year 2026 capital expenditure request that could bring in a $58,000 reimbursement grant. Ingle hopes to use the grant money toward the estimated $270,000 cost of the roof project.
At the Kids Day event before the start of school, around 350 students received free school supplies; it was sponsored by Dade First.
