Every Seattle Public Schools student can eat breakfast and lunch at school for free, every school day, regardless of family income.

The district announced Thursday, Sept. 3 that a new partnership with the City of Seattle has extended free meals to dozens of schools that were not already covered by the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program. Other SPS schools already offered free meals through CEP, concentrated in higher-poverty neighborhoods.

The expansion closes a gap that left more than 6,800 food-insecure students at schools without universal meal coverage, according to a joint statement from the mayor and City Council. Families are estimated to save $1,200 per child per year.

"K-12 education is free and universal, and this September, the nutrition every child needs to learn will be, too," Mayor Katie Wilson said in July when the city and council announced the funding agreement.

How it works

Each student gets one complete breakfast and one complete lunch per school day. Meals must meet federal nutrition standards. Snacks, second entrées and individual items not part of a complete meal may still be charged.

Students at every school must scan their barcode or enter their student ID number at the cafeteria point of sale, even though the meals are free.

The CNEEB form matters even though meals are free

The district is urging every family to fill out the Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit application, known as the CNEEB. The form does not affect whether a student eats for free. It does determine whether schools qualify for additional federal and state funding tied to low-income enrollment counts.

For individual students, completing the CNEEB can unlock fee waivers for SAT and ACT exams and college applications, according to Cleveland High School's counseling office.

The application is available online at myschoolapps.com/Application. Paper versions are available in Amharic, Chinese, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese and can be emailed to [email protected], faxed to 206-252-0664 or mailed to Culinary Services, 2445 3rd Ave S, P.O. Box 34165, Seattle, WA 98124. Families who do not want to share income information can select the "Decline Benefits" option.

Where the money comes from

The City Council voted unanimously Aug. 12 to approve $3.6 million for the 2026-27 school year, drawing the funds from a budget surplus tied to a North Seattle affordable housing project, KIRO 7 reported. For 2027-28, about $4.74 million will come from the $1.3 billion Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) property tax levy that voters approved in November 2025, according to The Seattle Times.

Mayor Wilson signed the six-year FEPP levy spending plan Aug. 3. Beyond school meals, the levy funds grocery vouchers for up to 5,000 families per year during weekends and school breaks, plus 60,000 summer meals annually at 50 community locations.

What this means across the district

Schools that already offered free meals through CEP will see no change in how meals are served. The shift matters most at schools that previously charged for lunch.

Because the policy is universal, families of special education students and multilingual learners no longer need to complete separate meal paperwork. The same free meals apply at every school.

Seattle Schools Week Ahead

• Tuesday, Sept. 8: First day of school for preschool and kindergarten students.
• Sept. 2–30: Student Data Verification window. Families can update student records through the SPS online portal.