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CEP Information

All students enrolled in Darlington County School District will receive free breakfast and lunch through the Community Eligibility Provision of the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Families do not need to complete meal applications. The meals will meet USDA nutrition guidelines, and menus are available at www.dcsdschools.org.

The program covers standard cafeteria meals only. Additional à la carte items, such as pizza and subs, are not included and will remain available for purchase.

Community Eligibility Provision
Effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027

Darlington County School District is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2026-2027school year. Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1))(the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision. All students enrolled in the school/district may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications. 

Breakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Please encourage students to participate in the school meal programs.  

You may contact your School Food Service (SFS) Director, Ms Dawn Johnson, for additional information.  

Parents or guardians who do not want their child/children to participate in CEP may wish to discuss this matter with Dawn Johnson, Director of School Nutrition, on an informal basis.  

Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to Ms. Dawn Johnson, 100 Magnolia Street, Darlington, SC 29532, for a hearing to appeal the decision.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.  Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the State or local Agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program  Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form.  To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:  
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington,  D.C. 20250-9410;  
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or  
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. 
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.