Why School Meal Access Matters for Mississippi Students

For many students, school meals provide an essential source of daily nutrition that supports their health, well-being, and ability to learn. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a federal program that allows eligible schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, helping reduce barriers to participation and ensuring more students have access to nutritious meals throughout the school day.

While eligible Mississippi schools may participate in CEP, communities often have limited information about whether eligible schools are participating or why they may have chosen not to do so. According to the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), 610 Mississippi schools participated in CEP during the 2025-2026 school year, serving students in communities across the state. However, hundreds of eligible and near-eligible schools are not yet participating, representing opportunities to expand access to healthy meals for Mississippi children.

The Solution: Greater Transparency Around Free School Meal Participation

The American Heart Association supports establishing statewide standards that increase participation in the Community Eligibility Provision. Specifically, the Heart Association supports standards that require school districts to:

• Publicly disclose whether eligible schools participate in CEP.
• Publicly disclose when an eligible school chooses not to participate in CEP and explain why.
• Demonstrate financial hardship when financial concerns are cited as the reason for non-participation.
• Make this information publicly available to parents, families, and community members.
• Ensure families who may qualify for free and reduced-price meals receive information, application materials, and assistance completing forms upon request.

By increasing transparency, Mississippi can help communities better understand local school meal decisions and identify opportunities to expand access to healthy school meals for students.

Why It Matters

When more eligible schools participate in CEP, more students gain access to healthy meals during the school day. Greater participation in CEP can help:

• Increase access to nutritious school meals.
• Reduce stigma associated with free school meals.
• Support student health and nutrition.
• Strengthen food security for children and families.

Every student should have access to the nutrition they need to learn, grow, and thrive.

How You Can Help

Creating healthier school environments starts with engaged advocates. If you’re already a member of the American Heart Association’s Heart Powered network, watch for opportunities to take action on school nutrition policies in Mississippi.

Not yet connected to our school nutrition advocacy work? Take the School Meals for Healthy Students Pledge to show your support for policies that help students access and benefit from nutritious school meals. By signing the pledge, you’ll join Heart Powered and receive updates on the Heart Association’s advocacy efforts, including school nutrition priorities, along with opportunities to take action when your voice is needed.

Together, we can help ensure more Mississippi students have access to healthy school meals and the nutrition they need to succeed.

Resources

Looking to learn more about free school meals and the Community Eligibility Provision? Explore these resources:

Mississippi CEP Eligibility and Participation Data (USDA)
View Mississippi schools and districts that are eligible for the Community Eligibility Provision and their participation status.

USDA Community Eligibility Provision Resource Center
Learn how CEP works and explore tools, data, and implementation guidance.

Community Eligibility: The Key to Hunger-Free Schools (Food Research and Action Center)
Explore national and state CEP participation data and learn how the program helps schools provide free meals to all students.