All students at 19 Lafayette Parish public schools will be eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch meals this year through a federal program.

The Community Eligibility Provision was first implemented in U.S. schools in 2014. The provision allows for free meals for all students at eligible schools, without requiring any application forms.

The Lafayette Parish schools that are part of the program this year are:

Acadian Middle, Alice Boucher Elementary, Charles Burke Elementary, Carencro Middle, Carencro Heights Elementary, Katherine Drexel Elementary, Duson Elementary, Evangeline Elementary, J.W. Faulk Elementary, Lafayette Middle, Live Oak Elementary, S.J. Montgomery Elementary, N.P. Moss Prep, Northside High, Ossun Elementary, Prairie Elementary, Scott Middle, Truman Early Childhood Center and Westside Elementary.

The provision means that more than 10,500 students at those schools will receive free meals, according to last year’s enrollment figures.

“All enrolled students at these sites are eligible to receive breakfast and lunch meals at school for the entire school year at no charge and will not be asked to submit a Meal Benefit Application,” school system officials said in a news release. “Other students, including those students in the household who attend LPSS schools not listed above, may apply for free and reduced price lunch in both electronic and paper format.”

Lafayette Parish School System budget figures show the system expects to receive an additional $300,000 in federal sales for its participation in the program. Federal sales last year were right around $10 million, but are expected to be more than $10.3 million this year.

In addition, the amount of local dollars for food services will decrease from around $1.8 million to around $1.4 million as a result of the district’s participation, according to budget documents.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, schools must have identified at least 40 percent of its students as eligible for free meals in the previous year. Schools in the Community Eligibility Provision also cannot collect applications for free and reduced-price meals, and must agree to cover any costs of providing free meals to all students above the amounts provided through federal dollars.

As for students who are not enrolled in one of the 19 schools that are in the Community Eligibility program, parents may still apply for traditional free and reduced lunch benefits. The paper forms will be distributed at school sites. The electronic application is online at applyforlunch.com/application.

At Lafayette Parish elementary schools, breakfast is $1.50 and lunch is $1.75.

At middle and high schools, breakfast is $1.50 and lunch is $2. Reduced price meals are 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch at all schools.