Thirty-three Houston ISD schools will not automatically serve free lunch and breakfast to all students during the 2026-27 school year, but individual students at the campuses may still qualify to receive the service, according to the district.
Latest update
Thirty-three HISD schools will not participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision in the 2026-27 school year, according to HISD’s website. Of these schools, seven also did not offer the service in the 2025-26 school year.
The Community Eligibility Provision program enables “high-poverty schools and districts” to serve free lunch and breakfast to all students without requiring students to submit individual applications, said a HISD spokesperson via a June 1 emailed statement.
Students at the impacted HISD schools can still file a Free/Reduced Price Meal Application to see whether they qualify for free meals in the 2026-27 school year, according to HISD’s website. To submit an application, click here.
The details
According to HISD’s website, the schools that will not automatically serve all students free lunch and breakfast beginning in the 2026-27 school year are:
- Baker Montessori
- Briarmeadow Charter School
- Bush Elementary School
- Condit Elementary School
- Harvard Elementary School
- Helms Elementary School
- Kolter Elementary School
- Mandarin Immersion Magnet School
- Poe Elementary School
- Sinclair Elementary School
- Twain Elementary School
- Wharton Elementary School
- Hogg Middle School
- Lanier Middle School
- Pin Oak Middle School
- T. H. Rogers School
- Bellaire High School
- Carnegie Vanguard High School
- Challenge Early College High School
- DeBakey High School for Health Professions
- Energy Institute High School
- Heights High School
- Houston Academy for International Studies
- Lamar High School
- Waltrip High School
- Westside High School
According to HISD’s website, schools that have not offered automatic free lunch and breakfast since the 2025-26 school year are:
- Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts
- Horn Elementary
- Travis Elementary
- Oak Forest Elementary
- River Oaks Elementary
- West University Elementary
- Roberts Elementary
About the programWhich schools qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision program depends on federal criteria, including eligibility for the federal programs Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, said the HISD spokesperson.
The Community Eligibility Provision program is operated by the Food and Nutrition Administration, which falls under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA. USDA did not respond to a request for comment on potential Community Eligibility Provision eligibility changes as of press time, June 5.
