Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8, Salem-Keizer Public Schools (SKPS) will switch from the summer meal program to the regular national school lunch and breakfast programs. Most school sites will have grab and go meals available for pick up each weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A full list of meal distribution sites can be found on the district website.
At this time, only students enrolled in Salem-Keizer Public Schools, including students in district operated pre-school, migrant programs and other programs such as the EDGE online program, are eligible to receive meals at SKPS grab and go sites after Sept. 4.
For the 2020-21 school year, SKPS has been able to designate nearly all schools as Community Eligible Provision (CEP) schools. This means students at all schools except for Straub Middle School and Candalaria Elementary School will receive their school meals at no cost, meaning there is no charge for families and families in CEP schools do not need to apply for free and reduced meals.
Only families attending Straub and Candalaria will need to apply for free or reduced meal benefits to receive free meals at school grab and go sites. Many families will be able to qualify for free meals at school through the new Oregon Expanded Income Guidelines.
Just like during a typical school year, families experiencing homelessness, students in foster care, students receiving migrant services, and families that receive SNAP or TANF benefits will automatically be eligible to receive free meals at Straub and Candalaria.