Local schools expand access to free meals

August 19, 2026 by Ben Pounds

All students in Anderson County Schools and Oak Ridge Schools can receive free meals this school year, while some Clinton City Schools students also qualify.



Clinton City Schools

For the 2026-27 school year, all North Clinton Elementary School students will receive free breakfast and lunch through the federal Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP.

The program reimburses eligible schools for providing meals to all students.

Families at Clinton Elementary and South Clinton Elementary schools may qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household size, income and other factors. Full-price breakfast costs $2.15 and lunch costs $3.25. Reduced-price meals cost 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch.

Families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Medicaid may qualify. Foster children and children who are homeless, runaways, migrants or enrolled in Head Start also may qualify.

For more information, contact Child Nutrition Program Coordinator Alex Billings at 865-457-0616 or billingsa@clintonschools.org. Application information and forms are available on the Clinton City Schools website.



Anderson County

All Anderson County Schools students receive free breakfast and lunch regardless of family income because the district qualifies for CEP, said Ryan Sutton, the district’s communications and public relations coordinator.

The program applies to students throughout the district, including its elementary, middle and high schools and other educational programs.



Oak Ridge

All Oak Ridge Schools will again participate in CEP during the 2026-27 school year.

Students will continue using fingerprint identification or student ID numbers or badges when receiving meals so the district can meet federal tracking requirements.

School Nutrition Supervisor Marcia Wade said the program comes at a cost to the district, but supports its goal of investing in students.

She said the district will continue offering free meals as long as it can financially support the program, and that student participation will help it continue.

Because Oak Ridge Schools will no longer collect free and reduced-price lunch forms, eligibility for other benefits will be determined through other methods.

Families with questions about those benefits may contact Molly Gallagher Smith at mgsmith@ortn.edu or 865-425-9014.