Fresno Unified offers free meals to all students

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Unified School District announced on Thursday that they will offer free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of income level.

They said the new policy is a new option available to schools under the National School Lunch Program to help ensure students are not hungry at school while they are trying to learn.

"The goal of the Food Services Department is to provide nutritious, appetizing meals to help students do their best in school each day, and implementing the CEP helps us meet this goal," said Food Services Director Jose Alvarado.

The Community Eligibility Program allows school districts with high poverty rates to provide meals to all students. The district said the program will reduce paperwork by eliminating meal applications and streamline meal service operations.

This is the first year the program has been available in California.