SAN ANTONIO – A federal free meal program used by thousands of San Antonio families is changing — and some parents may not realize their child’s school no longer qualifies for automatic coverage.
With school starting next week for many San Antonio-area districts, time is running short for families to take action.
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) was directly affected after the U.S. Department of Agriculture changed its eligibility requirements following a new law passed by Congress that affected the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Stricter federal and state SNAP changes reduced overall program enrollment, which in turn lowered the number of students schools need to qualify for CEP.
Biggest local impact: North East ISD
One of the most significant changes is at North East Independent School District, where at least 30 campuses lost the free meals program, according to district officials.
Sharon Glosson, NEISD’s executive director of school nutrition, said the shift is being felt across the district.
“It does have a big impact because many of our families really appreciated the free meals for their students even if they didn’t qualify individually for free and reduced price meals,” Glosson said. “We saw that it helped with more students participating in the meal program. They felt comfortable because everyone qualified for the program.”
What San Antonio-area parents need to do now
For schools that lost CEP status, parents can fill out an application to regain it — and officials say it takes only minutes to complete. The form is available online and can be found on each district’s website.
NEISD’s online portal for the application can be found here.
Glosson stressed that no student will go hungry, but said it’s critical that parents apply as soon as possible.
If an application is denied, Glosson encourages parents to apply again.
San Antonio ISD had not confirmed whether all of its campuses will retain CEP coverage. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Judson ISD officials told KSAT they are “still updating some items,” and information will be available online.
No changes for these S.A. districts
The following districts told KSAT that their schools remain CEP qualified for the 2026-2027 school year and do not need to fill out an application:
Parents who are unsure whether their child’s school is affected should check their district’s website and with administrators.