The Shadow
LOW MOOR, VA (VR) — All students enrolled in Alleghany Highlands Public Schools in the 2022-2023 school year will receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch free of charge under the federal Community Eligibility Provision.
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows schools participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture meals program to offer free breakfast and lunch. Authorized as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, CEP became available to eligible schools nationwide in 2014.
All schools in the Alleghany Highlands Public Schools Division now qualify for CEP. Eligibility is based on overall income levels of students’ households as a group.
In the upcoming school year, enrolled students will be provided a nutritious meal for breakfast and lunch each day at no charge to the household. Households will not be required to submit an application form for a student to receive meals at no charge.
“This is great news for our community because CEP eligibility will enable us to provide nutritious breakfasts and lunches to all of our students free of charge. We know that many families are struggling with the economy, and CEP eligibility will help put a little extra money in their pockets. Plus, we get the added benefit of knowing our students will be fueled up by these nutritious meals and ready to learn,” said Debra Buckner, division cafeteria manager for Alleghany Highlands Public Schools.
Each student household in AHPS will receive a letter informing parents about the CEP program.
“We are very pleased that our school nutrition staff is able to offer this opportunity to our students. Not every school division in the Commonwealth is qualified for this program, and we are thankful for our nutrition staff for their hard work in planning for and preparing the meals,” said school division leaders Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson in a joint statement.
Alleghany Highlands Public Schools will open for the 2022-2023 school year on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022. The Alleghany Highlands Public Schools Division was created on July 1, 2022, through the merger of Alleghany County Public Schools, Covington City Public Schools, and Jackson River Technical Center.
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at:https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form- 0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
1. Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. Fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. Email:
program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
