When Commerce ISD students return to class next week, families will have one less item to budget for.
For the second consecutive school year, every Commerce ISD student will be eligible to receive breakfast and lunch at school at no charge through the federal Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP. The program allows qualifying school districts to provide meals to all students regardless of household income, eliminating meal applications and ensuring every child has access to school nutrition.
"It's everybody," said Carrie Clements, Commerce ISD's new Director of Food Services. "Every student can get their breakfast and lunch for free, no matter their income."
Clements joined Commerce ISD on July 1 after spending 17 years as an area supervisor in Mesquite ISD. She said one of the biggest benefits of universal meals is that students no longer have to worry about whether they qualify or whether classmates know their family's financial circumstances.
"There is no longer, 'Oh, you're a free student,' or 'You're a paid student.' It's all equal across the board. No one knows what anyone else's economic situation at home is."
Commerce qualifies for CEP because it meets federal eligibility requirements based on the number of students who already participate in certain assistance programs. Rather than requiring families to submit applications each year, the district receives federal reimbursement that allows meals to be served to every student.
Beyond easing the financial burden on families, Clements said the program supports students academically.
"There's been many studies done, and kids learn better if their stomachs are full," she said. "We know there are a lot of students where the meals they receive at school are the only meals they have. We want to make sure they get everything they can get."
She said removing meal costs also removes difficult choices for parents.
"The parents don't have to worry about, 'What do I have to leave off at home so my kid can eat?' They don't have to budget for school meals. That's taken care of for them."
This school year also marks another significant change for Commerce ISD's cafeterias. The district is transitioning away from using a food service management company and will operate its own food service program, giving staff more flexibility in menu planning while still meeting federal nutrition standards.
"We're trying to make the menu something the kids will want to eat," Clements said.
Among the additions planned for this year is an "ultimate breakfast bowl" featuring tater tots, eggs, bacon, cheese and salsa.
"We're excited about it," she said.
Preparing hundreds of meals each day is a major undertaking. Kitchen managers begin arriving around 6 a.m. to prepare hot breakfasts before students arrive, and staff continue serving and cleaning well into the afternoon to support after-school programs.
"You think you go home and feed your family of four," Clements said. "We're feeding our family of 300-plus at the high school. It's a little bit different."
As students return to campus, Clements wants parents to know that every child is welcome in the cafeteria.
Students will have both hot and cold breakfast options, along with fruit, juice and milk. Lunches will include hot and cold entrees plus fruits, vegetables and milk.
"We want to make sure the kids know they can take all of that if they want to," she said. "We want to make sure they're full and that they're not worrying about where their next meal is coming from."
