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Hillsborough County Public Schools are offering students free meals for the upcoming school year.
Over 200 schools are participating in the Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP.
The program is part of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act – which aims to reduce health risks and childhood obesity.
Shani Hall is the Director of Nutritional Services for Hillsborough schools.
“It really targets those areas of the county where food insecurity is higher,” she said. “Where there is just more need to be feeding the children and there might be an additional burden of getting that application filled out so that those kids can be getting the free meals right away.”
Hall said the need for these types of programs has been growing since the pandemic began in 2020.
Children 18 years or younger also can get a free breakfast or lunch during the summer.
Parents or guardians can also text “food” or “comida” to 304304 to get a list of meal sites in your area.
“There are people who are struggling to make ends meet but they may not necessarily qualify for free or reduced lunch. but they are still unable to pay for the cost of the lunch. So, we feel like we are reaching a lot of those families who are in the middle there and this is one more thing that they don’t have to worry about,” said Hall.
According to HCPS, all students will be served lunch at no charge at the following sites:
Alafia Elementary |
Alexander Elementary |
Alonso High |
Anderson Elementary |
Apollo Beach Elementary |
Armwood High |
B.T. Washington Elementary |
Bailey Elementary |
Bay Crest Elementary |
Bellamy Elementary |
Belmont Elementary |
Benito Middle |
Bing Elementary |
Bloomingdale High |
Bowers-Whitley Career Acceleration Academy |
Boyette Springs Elementary |
Brandon Alternative |
Brandon High |
Brooker Elementary |
Broward Elementary |
Bryan Plant City Elementary |
Buchanan Middle |
Buckhorn Elementary |
Burnett Middle |
Burney Elementary |
Burns Middle |
Caminiti Exceptional Center |
Cannella Elementary |
Carrollwood Elementary |
Carver Exceptional Center |
Chamberlain High |
Chiaramonte Elementary |
Chiles Elementary |
Cimino Elementary |
Citrus Park Elementary |
Clair Mel Elementary |
Clark Elementary |
Claywell Elementary |
Collins K-8 |
Colson Elementary |
Cork Elementary |
Corr Elementary |
Crestwood Elementary |
Cypress Creek Elementary |
D.W. Waters Career Acceleration Academy |
Davidson Middle |
Davis Elementary |
Desoto Elementary |
Dickenson Elementary |
Doby Elementary |
Dorothy Thomas Exceptional Center |
Dover Elementary |
Dowdell Middle |
Dr. Carter G. Woodson K-8 |
Dunbar Elementary Magnet |
Durant High |
East Bay High |
Edison Elementary |
Egypt Lake Elementary |
Eisenhower Exceptional Center |
Eisenhower Middle |
Essrig Elementary |
Ferrell Girls Preparatory Academy Middle |
Folsom Elementary |
Forest Hills Elementary |
Foster Elementary |
Franklin Boys Preparatory Academy Middle |
Freedom High |
Frost Elementary |
Gaither High |
Gibsonton Elementary |
Giunta Middle |
Graham Elementary |
Greco Middle Magnet |
Heritage Elementary |
Hill Middle |
Hillsborough High |
Howard W. Blake High |
Hunter’s Green Elementary |
Ippolito Elementary |
Jackson Elementary |
James Elementary |
Jefferson High |
Jennings Middle |
Kenly Elementary |
King High |
Kingswood Elementary |
Knights Elementary |
Lake Magdalene Elementary |
Lamb Elementary |
Lanier Elementary |
LaVoy Exceptional Center |
Lennard High |
Leto High |
Lewis Elementary |
Liberty Middle |
Limona Elementary Magnet |
Lincoln Elementary |
Lockhart Elementary Magnet |
Lomax Elementary Magnet |
Lopez Elementary |
Lopez Exceptional Center |
Lowry Elementary |
Lutz K-8 |
MacFarlane Park Elementary |
Madison Middle |
Mango Elementary |
Maniscalco K-8 |
Mann Middle |
Marshall Middle Magnet |
McDonald Elementary |
Memorial Middle |
Mendenhall Elementary |
Middleton High |
Miles Elementary |
Mintz Elementary |
Morgan Woods Elementary |
Mort Elementary |
Muller Elementary Magnet |
Mulrennan Middle |
Nelson Elementary |
North Tampa Alternative |
Northwest Elementary |
Oak Grove Elementary |
Oak Park Elementary |
Orange Grove Middle Magnet |
Palm River Elementary |
Patricia Sullivan Partnership |
Pierce Middle |
Pinecrest Elementary |
Pizzo K-8 |
Plant City High |
Potter Elementary |
Progress Village Middle Magnet |
Rampello Downtown Partnership K-8 Magnet |
Reddick Elementary |
Riverhills Elementary Magnet |
Riverview Elementary |
Riverview High |
Robinson Elementary |
Robinson High |
Robles Elementary |
Rodgers Middle |
Roland Park K-8 Magnet |
Ruskin Elementary |
Schmidt Elementary |
Schwarzkopf Elementary |
Seffner Elementary |
Seminole Elementary |
Sessums Elementary |
Sgt. Smith Middle Academy |
Shaw Elementary |
Sheehy Elementary |
Shields Middle |
Shore Elementary Magnet |
Sickles High |
Simmons Career Acceleration Academy |
Simmons Exceptional Center |
Sligh Middle Magnet |
South County Career Acceleration Academy |
Spoto High |
Springhead Elementary |
Stewart Middle Magnet |
Strawberry Crest High |
Sulphur Springs K-8 |
Summerfield Crossing Elementary |
Summerfield Elementary |
Sumner High |
Symmes Elementary |
Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary |
Tampa Bay Technical High |
Tampa Heights Elementary Magnet |
Tampa Palms Elementary |
Temple Terrace Elementary |
Thompson Elementary |
Thonotosassa Elementary |
Tomlin Middle |
Town & Country Elementary |
Trapnell Elementary |
Turkey Creek Middle |
Turner-Bartels K-8 |
Twin Lakes Elementary |
Valrico Elementary |
Walden Lake Elementary |
Walker Middle Magnet |
Warren Hope Dawson Elementary |
Webb Middle |
West Shore Elementary |
West Tampa Elementary |
Wharton High |
Williams Middle Magnet |
Willis Peters Exceptional |
Wilson Elementary |
Wimauma Elementary |
Witter Elementary |
Woodbridge Elementary |
Yates Elementary |
Young Middle Magnet |
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