Free breakfast and lunch for all students is coming to another area school district in 2023-24.

Lehighton Area School District’s board of directors approved its food service budget from the Nutrition Group on Monday night and it includes entry into a Community Eligibility Provision which, according to the state Department of Education, is a reimbursement option for districts that wish to offer free meals to all children in high poverty schools.

According to the CEP program requirements, at least 40% of students in a district must be directly certified as having qualified for free or reduced lunch by an office such as Medicaid or something similar.

LASD Business Administrator Edward Rarick said the district has just over 50% of its students directly certified, meaning the CEP formula would see the district reimbursed for around 81% of students coming through the breakfast and lunch lines. The move to free meals for all students, regardless of their family’s income level, will leave Lehighton with a $37,285 net loss in the food service area of its budget, but directors said Monday the benefits outweigh the negatives.

“Our district has just over 9,000 taxable properties, so it isn’t costing each taxpayer a lot of money to make sure everyone eats for free,” board member Brian Shaner said before the vote.

The district has served more than 154,000 lunches and 73,000 breakfasts through March.

“This is a great way to make sure no kids fall through the cracks,” director Barbara Bowes said. “Parents do not have to sign up for a free lunch in order for the student to be fed. I like that idea.”

Board President Joy Beers also backed the free meal plan, saying previously she worried about students who may be getting their only quality meals at school.

“I was ready to vote for this last month without even knowing the budget number,” she said.

Jim Thorpe also opted into the CEP program for 2023-24 at an almost $88,000 anticipated food service budget loss.

According to information provided by the Nutrition Group, food, paper, and cleaning costs are projected to increase approximately 8-10% next year in Lehighton based on national trends with increases in the cost of supplies.

The budget also included a 3% rate increase for Nutrition Group staff and a 3.5% increase for district staff.