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Des Moines Public Schools offering more increased free meals this school year

DES MOINES — Getting a meal at one of Des Moines’ public schools is now easier thanks to increased availability from a federal program. The U.S. Departmen...

DES MOINES — Getting a meal at one of Des Moines’ public schools is now easier thanks to increased availability from a federal program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) will offer students at 50 DMPS schools free breakfast and lunch.

What used to be a ticketed system—different colors for free, reduced, or full-cost meals—has been replaced with something much simpler: Free breakfast and lunch for every student at the participating schools.

“We really are trying to focus on those primary needs to get the kids focused to learn for a school day,” said Des Moines Public Schools Director of Food Nutrition Amanda Miller.

Another advantage to the expanded free meals? Less time spent on processing paperwork.

“If you have a school with 500 students and 400 of them qualify for free and reduced meals, in the past that’s mean you’d have to go through 400 applications,” said Phil Roeder with Des Moines Public Schools. “It’s actually a savings to just do away with that work and take care of that handful of students that might not necessarily qualify.”

Below is a list of schools participating in the program.

Elementary Schools
Brubaker, Capitol View, Carver, Cattell, Edmunds, Findley, Garton, Greenwood, Hanawalt, Hillis, Howe, Jackson, King, Lovejoy, Madison, McKinley, Monroe, Moore, Morris, Moulton, Oak Park, Park Avenue, Perkins, Phillips, Pleasant Hill, River Woods, Samuelson, Smouse, South Union, Stowe, Studebaker, Walnut Street School, Willard, Windsor, Wright

Middle Schools
Brody, Callanan, Goodrell, Harding, Hiatt, Hoyt, McCombs, Meredith, Weeks

High Schools
East, Hoover, Lincoln, North, Ruby Van Meter, Scavo

Early Childhood
Jesse Franklin Taylor, McKee, Mitchell, Woodlawn

Districtwide Programs
Mann

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