Every student enrolled at Apollo Beach K-8, Lennard High School, East Bay High School, and Ruskin Elementary will receive free lunch when the 2026-2027 school year begins. No application. No paperwork. No qualifying income.
Hillsborough County Public Schools announced Monday, July 27, that the district is participating in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, a program that covers meal costs for all students at eligible schools. More than 140 Hillsborough campuses are on the list.
The four local schools serve roughly 5,734 students combined, based on the district's 2025-2026 enrollment count: Lennard High (2,328), East Bay High (1,756), Apollo Beach K-8 (847), and Ruskin Elementary (803).
What CEP means for families
Under the provision, every enrolled student automatically qualifies for free meals. Families do not need to submit a free-or-reduced-price lunch application, and students are not sorted into "free," "reduced," or "paid" categories. The program is authorized under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which allows schools where a high percentage of students are directly certified for assistance to offer meals to all students at no charge.
For parents managing lunch-account balances or unpaid meal debt, the cost disappears.
Apollo Beach K-8, led by Principal Lindsey Nelson, already promotes the benefit on its school website, noting that every student can receive a free breakfast and lunch daily. The school is located at 501 Apollo Beach Blvd.
Breakfast coverage unclear at three schools
The district's press release specifies that "all students will be served lunch at no charge" at participating sites. Apollo Beach K-8's website separately confirms breakfast is included there. Whether Lennard High, East Bay High, and Ruskin Elementary also offer free breakfast under CEP was not stated in the district announcement.
Contact and next steps
Families with questions can reach Shani Hall, general manager of Student Nutrition Services, at 813-840-7092 or [email protected]. The mailing address is 9014 Brittany Way, Tampa, FL 33619.
The district has not published the official first day of school for 2026-2027 in the materials reviewed for this report.
