ATLANTA (AP) - A federal budget law is threatening to end free school lunches for more than one million Georgia children, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress (CAP). The changes come as students return to classrooms, causing anxiety for low-income families.
The law, called the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' tightened work requirements and added paperwork for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), reducing enrollment. Under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), schools where at least 25% of students are automatically enrolled in SNAP or Medicaid can offer free meals to all students. As SNAP rolls drop, schools may fall below that threshold.
CAP data shows that during the 2024-25 school year, 1,254,521 Georgia students attended CEP schools, and 1,170,657 were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. However, only 437,630 students were directly certified through SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF. That leaves 796,137 students who rely solely on their school's CEP status and are at highest risk of losing free meals.
If schools lose eligibility, families must apply manually. A family with two children could face median annual lunch costs of $1,134. Some districts have secured CEP status through 2028, but advocates warn of a slow-moving crisis. 'That's something that's going to slowly happen over time,' said Carolyn Vega of No Kid Hungry.
Rachel Kent, a single mother in Georgia, depends on SNAP to feed her 15-year-old son. She said losing benefits would be 'catastrophic.' 'I keep a smile for my son,' she said. 'I can think about the bad days, I can cry, but I have my son to support and stay positive for.'
Source: wrdw.com
