Duval County Public Schools has recently continued changes affecting free lunch at some schools across the district. Over the past five years, many schools were able to provide free meals to students, but that changed after a district announcement in May 2025.

After a further budget review, 37 schools in the district no longer qualified to continue offering free lunch because they did not meet the requirements for the Community Eligibility Provision program. To qualify for the program, a school must now have at least 40% of enrolled students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. This requirement was not enforced in the same way during previous years.

According to a district announcement, “Since March 2020, we’ve been able to offer free meals to all students districtwide thanks to federal pandemic relief funding; however, that funding has ended, and continuing the program without it is no longer financially sustainable.” This statement explains that the budget could no longer support free lunch for all schools across the district.

Thankfully, these pricing changes currently affect only lunch. Breakfast remains available through the Universal Free Breakfast Program and has not been affected by budget adjustments.

The qualifications for free or reduced-price lunch at affected schools depend on several factors, including household size, total annual income, and family circumstances. For example, students from families earning below 130% of the federal poverty level may qualify for free lunch, while those earning between 130% and 185% may qualify for reduced-price lunch.

A student living in a household of four has a different income threshold than a student living in a household of six. For students approved for reduced-price lunch, schools cannot charge more than 40 cents per meal.

This system is designed to help determine who most needs free or reduced-price lunch while also helping the district stay within budget and continue supporting students who depend on meal assistance.