As of Monday, August 10, universal, free breakfast and lunch will no longer be available to all students at numerous Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Wellington schools and charter schools. This free breakfast and lunch program, which has been available to all Palm Beach County School District (PBCSD) students for the last six consecutive years, is undergoing changes that will significantly impact approximately 25% of the district’s students and their families.
About the current changes to the universal free breakfast and lunch program, the Palm Beach County School District states, “Nearly 75% of District-operated schools will continue to have free breakfast and lunch available for all students in the 2026-2027 school year. Providing our students with access to nutritious meals is a top priority for the District. This transition occurred due to state requirements regarding eligibility for the Community Eligibility Provision.”
Free breakfasts and lunches are provided to PBCSD schools and charter schools under the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs. A transition in Florida state requirements regarding the Community Eligibility Provision for these federal programs has resulted in their cancellation for approximately 25% of students attending approximately 55 PBCSD schools during the 2026-27 school year.
Schools that will no longer qualify for the universal free meals program have been “…shifted to non-community eligibility (Non-CEP) status, meaning they will no longer offer automatic free lunches unless families apply and qualify individually.” What this means is that for students who attend schools that no longer offer universal free breakfasts and lunches, payment for meals will be required, unless a family applies and qualifies for “Free and Reduced-price Meals”. Palm Beach County School District families may submit applications to be accepted in the Free and Reduced-price Meals program starting in mid-July 2026. “Meal benefits are determined based on income and family size.”
Complete lists of schools and charter schools where meals will remain free and of where meals will be available for purchase during the forthcoming 2026-27 are available at the Palm Beach County School District website.
Meal prices for students who do not qualify for free meals next year will be:
Breakfast: $2.50
Elementary lunch: $3.50
Secondary lunch: $3.75
The “low-cost” meal rates for qualifying students will be:
Breakfast: $0.30
Lunch: $0.40