Southwest Louisiana Expands Free School Breakfast And Lunch Programs [VIDEO]

The Calcasieu Parish Community Eligibility Provision Program, better known as the free school breakfast and lunch program, is expanding to include Jeff Davis and Allen parishes.   KPLC-TV reports the program did so well last year here in Calcasieu, that organizers decided to offer it to even more children.  It's truly a win, win for everyone concerned, but especially the kids.

Jeff Davis School Board Superintendent Brian LeJeune agrees and told KPLC, "We know that when students are fed and are not hungry, they perform better in school. Less discipline issues, (they're) happier to be there so we're excited to give our students this opportunity to be able to eat two meals a day at no cost to their parents."

LeJeune explained, "It is a quality, good, wholesome meal that meets all the guidelines and requirements. If they come in and eat and at least eat a portion of their meal, they're going to go home fed and in a better position to be successful in school."

The best thing about this program is, it provides free meals to every student who attends a qualifying school.  Below is a list of those schools.

The 32 qualifying schools in Calcasieu are:

Barbe, Brentwood, Jessie D. Clifton, College Oaks, Combre-Fondel, DeQuincy, E.K. Key, Fairview, Henry Heights, Pearl Watson, W.T. Henning, Ralph F. Wilson, J.J. Johnson, M.J. Kaufman, J.F. Kennedy, Oak Park, R.W. Vincent, Vinton, J.I. Watson, T.H. Watkins and Western Heights Elementary schools; DeQuincy Primary;  Brenda Hunter Head Start; Jake Drost Special School; LeBlanc, Ray D. Molo, Oak Park, Vinton and F.K. White Middle schools and LaGrange, Starks and Washington-Marion Magnet high schools.

Three Jeff Davis Parish schools:                                                                                       James Ward, Jennings and Lake Arthur Elementary schools.

Three Allen Parish schools:                                                                                                Oakdale  and Oberlin Elementary school and Oakdale Middle School.

KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

According to KPLC-TV Tina Coleman, Jeff Davis Parish School Board Child Nutrition Program Supervisor, 40 percent of a schools student body must be identified to have children that benefit directly from SNAP or food stamps.  Theses students can fall under other hardships such as being homeless, migrant, runaway, or fostered.  Once a school qualifies, they are eligible for four years.

For more information go to the Community Eligibility Provision Program website.