In the fall of 2024, Superintendent Dr. Andreas Johansson made the decision for Newton Falls Schools to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program — a federal meal program designed to ensure that every student, regardless of household income, can receive free breakfast and lunch every day.
The CEP program, administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), removes the need for families to fill out individual meal applications. Instead, the district qualifies as a whole based on community eligibility data.
This means that all students in Newton Falls benefit equally — no paperwork, no stigma, and no child ever going hungry during the school day.
Today, we’re proud to celebrate a remarkable milestone: our dedicated cafeteria staff has just served the 200,000th free meal since the start of the 2024–2025 school year!
That’s 200,000 moments of nourishment, energy, and care that help our students focus, learn, and thrive.
Dr. Johansson shared, “A student who is well-fed and nourished is a student prepared to learn and accomplish their goals. This program represents our commitment to meeting the needs of the whole child — academically, socially, and physically.”
We want to give a major shout-out to our incredible cafeteria team for making this possible. Their tireless dedication ensures that every Tiger has access to nutritious, delicious meals every day.
One District. One Board. One Community. You BELONG in Newton Falls!