Pinehurst Elementary receives free lunch grant

PINEHURST –– The Kellogg School District recently was awarded a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) grant that will allow all students at Pinehurst Elementary School to receive free breakfast and lunch. 

The CEP grant is through the United States Department of Agriculture, which determines eligibility from programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Families in Idaho (TAFI), which removes the burden of collecting and reviewing individual household applications and, instead, allows schools located in low-income areas to provide free meals to all students.

The grant goes into effect immediately once the students return from their holiday break, on Monday, January 8.  

PES houses 450 students, nearly 40% of the district’s 1,134 total students – which makes this a major win for both the KSD and the families of the students who attend PES. 

The district’s other three facilities, Canyon Elementary, Kellogg Middle School, and Kellogg High School, did not qualify for the grant due to them not meeting the requirement of having more than 40% of identified students directly certifying for free meals. 

“The CEP grant is a win for PES students, parents, and our food services staff,” KSD Superintendent Lance Pearson said. “The grant gives access to free nutritious meals for Pinehurst Elementary students with no stigma and allows them more time to eat nutritious meals. Our parents will not have to worry about household applications and lunch accounts. Our food services staff can streamline their meal services operation which allows students more time to consume their food. Overall this reduces paperwork and administrative costs, eliminates the need to track unpaid meal charges, improves program integrity, and ensures our Pinehurst Elementary students are nourished, ready to learn and grow.” 

KSD’s new Director of Food Service, Leah Figueroa, was instrumental in securing the grant, which runs in four-year cycles and will end after the 2026/27 school year. 

“In just the short time Leah has been in charge of the KSD Food Services Program, she has gone above and beyond to effect positive change and the CEP award is a credit to her dedication to improving her department,” Pearson told the News-Press.