33 HISD Schools Drop Free Lunch

Thousands of Houston-area students will no longer automatically receive free lunch when the new school year begins after Houston ISD announced that 33 campuses will no longer participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program.

The change is expected to impact more than 35,000 students across the district. CEP allows schools with high numbers of qualifying students to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students without requiring families to submit meal applications.

According to HISD, the affected schools no longer meet the federal requirements needed to remain in the program. As a result, families at those campuses will now be required to complete an application to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.

District officials say free breakfast will continue to be available for all students, but lunch eligibility will depend on household income and application approval.

Several well-known campuses, including Bellaire High School, Heights High School, and Lamar High School, are among those expected to lose universal free lunch status. HISD says the decision is based on federal guidelines and not a district policy change.

Education advocates have expressed concern that some families who qualify for assistance may not complete the required paperwork, potentially leaving students without access to free meals they are eligible to receive.

Parents are encouraged to complete meal applications before the start of the 2026-27 school year to avoid any interruptions in meal benefits.