Community Eligibility Provision

Dear Families of Canastota CSD Students

All students enrolled at Canastota High School, Roberts Street Middle School, South Side Elementary and Peterboro Street Elementary are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2024-2025 school year. No further action is required of you. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit an application.

 

Canastota will be entering year 2 of a 4 year approved Community Eligibility Program.

(CEP) 
Now we need YOUR help! 
As part of the CEP eligibility program families are not required to submit income data. However, as we near the 2025-26 budget season Governor Hochul will be making modifications to NYS School Districts main funding source called Foundation Aid. In order to revamp Foundation Aid the formulas used will need to be updated. One of the main formulas is the Free and Reduced Price Lunch (FRPL) ratio.

Students, taxpayers and the school community need you (families) to help reaffirm our FRPL ratio and keep state funding in our school and our community!!

What is the FRPL and why is it important? 

Free and reduced price is a major calculated formula that goes into the foundation aid formula which is the district's largest state aid funding source. Additionally FRPL is a measurement used to determine a district's eligibility for grants. The data used currently is outdated and frozen by NYS. When the state updates the formula and uses current data we NEED to have data on file.

 
If we are a CEP school am I required to complete an Income form? 
NO- However the data used to calculate Canastota's FRPL ratio will be outdated and may not reflect our communities current demographic or economic status.

How can you help ensure Canastota has an accurate FRPL ratio? 
Complete the Income form.

What is the income form? 
The Income data form is a form that shows how many people reside in a household and the income of that household.