ALACHUA COUNTY – As students return to classrooms Monday, Aug. 10, thousands of Alachua County children will once again receive free breakfast and lunch at school through a federal meal program, while families at other campuses are encouraged to apply for free or reduced-price meals before the school year gets underway.
The School District of Alachua County announced that 23 public and charter schools have qualified for the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2026-27 school year. Under the program, every student enrolled at those schools receives breakfast and lunch at no charge, regardless of household income, and families do not need to complete a meal application.
Schools participating in the CEP program include Alachua Elementary, Archer Elementary, Eastside High, Hawthorne Middle/High, Lincoln Middle, Mebane Middle, Rawlings Elementary, Terwilliger Elementary, Williams Elementary and several other public and charter schools throughout the county.
Students attending the district’s 27 remaining public and charter schools may still qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household income, but families must submit an application to determine eligibility.
Those schools include Buchholz High, Gainesville High, Fort Clarke Middle, Kanapaha Middle, Newberry High, Santa Fe High, Talbot Elementary, Wiles Elementary and other schools that are not part of the CEP program.
School Meal Guide
Is your child’s school eligible for free meals?
The School District of Alachua County has divided its schools into two groups for the 2026-27 school year. Students at 23 schools receive breakfast and lunch at no charge. Families at the remaining schools must apply to qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Free breakfast and lunch
No application required
- A. Quinn Jones
- Alachua Elementary
- Archer Elementary
- Caring and Sharing Learning School (Charter)
- Duval Early Learning Academy
- Eastside High
- Hawthorne Middle/High
- Idylwild Elementary
- Irby Elementary
- Lake Forest Elementary
- Lincoln Middle
- Mebane Middle
- Metcalfe Elementary
- North Central Florida Public Charter School
- Norton Elementary
- One Room School House Project (Charter)
- Rawlings Elementary
- Resilience Charter School
- Shell Elementary
- Sidney Lanier Center
- SIATech Gainesville Charter
- Terwilliger Elementary
- Williams Elementary
Application required
Families must qualify based on household income
- Bishop Middle
- Boulware Springs Charter
- Buchholz High
- Chiles Elementary
- Einstein School (Charter)
- Expressions Learning Arts Academy (Charter)
- Fort Clarke Middle
- Gainesville High
- Glen Springs Elementary
- Healthy Learning Academy (Charter)
- Hidden Oak Elementary
- High Springs Community School
- Kanapaha Middle
- Littlewood Elementary
- Meadowbrook Elementary
- Micanopy Academy (Charter)
- Newberry Community School (Charter)
- Newberry High
- Oak View K-8
- Parker Elementary
- P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School
- Professional Academies Magnet at Loften High School (PAM@Loften)
- Santa Fe College Academy of Science and Technology (Charter)
- Santa Fe High
- Talbot Elementary
- Westwood Middle
- Wiles Elementary
2026-27 meal prices
Reduced Price
- Breakfast: 30¢
- Lunch: 40¢
Paid
- Breakfast: $1.50
- Elementary lunch: $2.50
- Middle/High lunch: $2.75
Need to apply or have questions?
Applications are available through the district’s Food and Nutrition Services website and in paper form at schools where applications are required.
Questions: 352-955-7539, ext. 1569
Apply online: yourchoicefresh.com
For students who qualify for reduced-price meals, breakfast will cost 30 cents and lunch 40 cents. Students paying full price will pay $1.50 for breakfast, $2.50 for elementary school lunches and $2.75 for middle and high school lunches.
District officials encourage families whose children attend non-CEP schools to complete meal applications before classes begin to help ensure benefits are available at the start of the school year.
A complete list of schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision, income guidelines and meal applications are available through the district’s Food and Nutrition Services website at www.yourchoicefresh.com. Paper applications also are available at schools where income-based applications are required.
Families with questions may also contact the department at 352-955-7539, ext. 1569.
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