Thirty-three Houston ISD schools will not automatically serve free lunch and breakfast to all students during the 2026-27 school year, but individual students at the campuses may still qualify to receive the service, according to the district.
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Thirty-three HISD schools will not participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision in the 2026-27 school year, according to HISD’s website. Of these schools, seven also did not offer the service in the 2025-26 school year.
The Community Eligibility Provision program enables “high-poverty schools and districts” to serve free lunch and breakfast to all students without requiring students to submit individual applications, said a HISD spokesperson via a June 1 emailed statement.
Students at the impacted HISD schools can still file a Free/Reduced Price Meal Application to see whether they qualify for free meals in the 2026-27 school year, according to HISD’s website. To submit an application, click here.
The details
According to HISD’s website, the schools that will not automatically serve all students free lunch and breakfast beginning in the 2026-27 school year are:
Baker MontessoriBriarmeadow Charter SchoolBush Elementary SchoolCondit Elementary SchoolHarvard Elementary SchoolHelms Elementary SchoolKolter Elementary SchoolMandarin Immersion Magnet SchoolPoe Elementary SchoolSinclair Elementary SchoolTwain Elementary SchoolWharton Elementary SchoolHogg Middle SchoolLanier Middle SchoolPin Oak Middle SchoolT. H. Rogers SchoolBellaire High SchoolCarnegie Vanguard High SchoolChallenge Early College High SchoolDeBakey High School for Health ProfessionsEnergy Institute High SchoolHeights High SchoolHouston Academy for International StudiesLamar High SchoolWaltrip High SchoolWestside High SchoolAccording to HISD’s website, schools that have not offered automatic free lunch and breakfast since the 2025-26 school year are:Kinder High School for Performing and Visual ArtsHorn ElementaryTravis ElementaryOak Forest ElementaryRiver Oaks ElementaryWest University ElementaryRoberts ElementaryAbout the program
Which schools qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision program depends on federal criteria, including eligibility for the federal programs Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, said the HISD spokesperson.
The Community Eligibility Provision program is operated by the Food and Nutrition Administration, which falls under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA. USDA did not respond to a request for comment on potential Community Eligibility Provision eligibility changes as of press time, June 5.
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