Free and Reduced-Price School Meal Applications Mailed for Upcoming School Year

Application forms for free and reduced-price school meals for children unable to pay the full price of meals served under the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program are being mailed home with a letter to parents or guardians for School Year (SY) 2020-21.

To apply for free or reduced-price meals, households should fill out the application and return it to their child’s school.

The information provided on the application will be used only for purposes of determining eligibility, may be verified at any time during the school year by the school or other program officials, and will be kept confidential.

After verification, households will be notified of their child(ren)’s eligibility for free meals. If the students are members of households receiving assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), no application is required for free meal benefits. All children in these households are eligible for free meal benefits. If any child(ren) is not listed on the eligibility notice, the household should contact the school to have the free meal benefits extended to that child(ren).

Applications may be submitted at any time during the year. Households approved for free or reduced-price meals are not required to report changes in income status, household size, or when the household is no longer eligible for SNAP or TANF. If a household chooses to decline free meal benefits for the children, the household must contact the school.

Households will be notified of their children’s eligibility for free meals if they are defined by law as homeless, migrant, runaway, a foster child, or are enrolled in Head Start, when that information is made known to the school,

The household size and income criteria identified below will be used for determining eligibility for free and reduced-price benefits.  Children from households whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2020 TO JUNE 30, 2021