Question: I’m working on applying to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) free and reduced-price lunch program, but I’m struggling to accept program requirements that conflict with my school’s mission and values. What should I do?
Answer: The free and reduced-price lunch program is used by several religious schools to provide their students with nutritious and affordable school lunches. Because of recent changes to the program along with looming Title IX updates, some schools are thinking twice before participating.
The Council For American Private Education (CAPE) has provided guidance on how schools can handle conflicting requirements:
Federal law allows an exemption from requirements that conflict with the school’s deeply held religious beliefs. This means that you must follow the requirements of the program to the extent that the requirements are consistent with the tenants of the school’s documented religious beliefs.
For example, when posting the required non-discrimination poster, a school can use an older version of the discrimination clause that respects their religious beliefs.
See here for further information on the USDA programs. Always check with your school’s oversight jurisdiction before joining any government program. WCRIS is the official state chapter of CAPE.
