The National School Lunch Program
Newton Public Schools participates in the Child Nutrition Program through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), providing healthy meals to students every school day. Lincoln Eliot, the Education Center, and Underwood participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) based upon the school’s low-income percentage. The programs are administered at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Food and Nutrition Service and at the state level by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) through agreements with local school districts. Participating schools receive federal reimbursements and donated food commodities for meals served and must meet federal nutrition standards. DESE conducts periodic administrative reviews to ensure compliance with program requirements. Students may qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household income meeting Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines, participation in certain public assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Medicaid (subject to income eligibility thresholds), or if the child is identified as homeless, migrant, runaway, foster, or enrolled in a Head Start or Even Start pre-kindergarten program. Although meals are provided at no cost to all students in Massachusetts through dedicated state funding, eligibility data remains important because it helps determine federal reimbursement levels, supports CEP eligibility calculations, and informs other state and federal funding allocations that benefit school districts and students.
FEDERAL ELIGIBILITY INCOME CHART For School Year 2025-2026
Maximum Household Income Eligible for Free Meals
Maximum Household Income Eligible for Reduced Price Meals
Household size
Yearly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Monthly
Weekly
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
$20,345 27,495 34,645 41,795 48,945 56,095 63,245 70,395 +7,150
$1,696
$392
$28,953 39,128 49,303 59,478 69,653 79,828 90,003 100,178 +10,175
$2,413
$557
2,292 2,888 3,483 4,079 4,675 5,271 5,867
529 667 804 942
3,261 4,109 4,957 5,805 6,653 7,501 8,349
753 949
1,144 1,340 1,536 1,731 1,927
1,079 1,217 1,354
Each additional person:
+596
+138
+848
+196
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