Pasadena Unified Offers Free Breakfast and Lunch To All Students in PUSD Schools

The Pasadena Unified School District is offering free breakfast and lunch for all students enrolled at any public school within the District for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. 

“Breakfast and lunch are free for all students,” confirmed Pasadena Unified spokesperson Hilda Ramirez Horvath. “Prepayment would only be necessary for a la carte items.”

Meals served at PUSD locations follow USDA guidelines for healthy school meals and are prepared each day by teams assigned at each school site. 

Students have access to a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as part of the free meals. Occasionally, each school offers cut fruit in natural juice or frozen fruit treats with no sugar added. 

The free meals are part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture program called Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

Administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Services, CEP is a meal service option for schools and school districts which allows them to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students. Schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals. 

PUSD’s Food and Nutrition Services Department operates the program locally.

On school days, PUSD said it has served over 14,000 meals to students daily. During summer when school is out, PUSD also offers free meals for all children up to 18 years old through the Free Summer Meals program at selected PUSD schools and public parks. 

To learn more about PUSD’s food service programs, visit https://www.pusd.us/Page/4341.