HOW HAVE KEY STAKEHOLDERS EXPERIENCED THE ADOPTION OF THE COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION MEAL SERVICE OPTION IN NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

This dissertation explored how key stakeholders experienced the adoption of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) meal service option in North Carolina public schools. Using a mixed methods design, the study conducted an analysis of outcomes associated with CEP by comparing student attendance, discipline, growth, and performance at schools within groupings of schools with different CEP participation status, finding statistically significant differences in the means of students that were chronically absent in Year 2, between schools that adopted CEP in Year 2 compared to those that did not, as well as schools that were CEP in both years compared with those that were not CEP in either year. It then sought to understand student-level experience with CEP through focus groups in areas that have adopted CEP. Key themes that emerged included school meals that do not align with student food preferences and administrative challenges in implementation, while also recognizing that universal free school meals are a useful tool to reduce food insecurity and reduce shame and stigma. Finally, it examined local school board decision-making about CEP through an analysis of three school districts that adopted CEP, their school board, and local media coverage. This study found a discrepancy between the positioning and partisanship of national political discourse on universal free school meals, including CEP, and the local perspectives on CEP. Collectively, these three studies tell us that not only is CEP associated with measurable benefits and meaningful improvements in student outcomes in North Carolina, but that those impacts are mediated by implementation and local politics.