Be on the Lookout for Free & Reduced-price Meal Applications!!!

Each student will bring home an application for Free & Reduced-price meals. Look at the Federal Income Chart on the front page of the application packet. If you believe that your household may be eligible for benefits, please read the instruction page and carefully fill out ONE FAMILY APPLICATION. List all of your students on one application and throw away any extras.

Applications will be processed as they are received in the Child Nutrition office. A letter will be sent to your home letting your know if you qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

If you would like to speed up your approval process, we will enter your application on the spot if you bring the completed application to the Child Nutrition office at 536 Hamilton Street. This will ensure that meal benefits start immediately. OR you may return the application to your youngest child’s cafeteria manager. Managers bring applications to the Child Nutrition office daily and we will process the application as soon as possible. Just be aware that we receive hundreds of applications in the first days of school and you may not get approval by September 9 if you wait too long to turn in your application.

Students may eat on the same meal status that they had at the end of the 2008-2009 school year for the first 10 days of school, or through September 9. All students do not eat free the first 10 days.

Beginning on Thursday, September 10, all students that have not received an approval letter from the Child Nutrition office will be required to pay full price for breakfast and lunch.

Families may apply for Free & Reduced-price meal benefits at any time during the school year.

1. Who can get free meals? Children in households getting Food Stamps or TANF and most foster children can get free meals regardless of your income. Also, your children can get free price meals if your household income is within the free limits on the Federal Income Guidelines.

2. Who can get reduced price meals? Your children can get low cost meals if your household income is within the reduced price limits on the Federal Income Chart, shown on this application.

3. If I don’t qualify now, may I apply later? Yes. You may apply at any time during the school year if your household size goes up, income goes down, or if you start getting Food Stamps, TANF or other benefits. If you lose your job, your children may be able to get free or reduced price meals.

Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals if your household income falls within the limits on the chart below:

FEDERAL INCOME CHART For School Year 2009-2010
Household size	Annual	Monthly	Twice Per Month	Every Two Weeks	Weekly
1	20,036.00	1,670.00	835.00	771.00	386.00
2	26,955.00	2,247.00	1,124.00	1,037.00	519.00
3	33,874.00	2,823.00	1,412.00	1,303.00	652.00
4	40,793.00	3,400.00	1,700.00	1,569.00	785.00
5	47,712.00	3,976.00	1,988.00	1,836.00	918.00
6	54,631.00	4,553.00	2,277.00	2,102.00	1,051.00
7	61,550.00	5,130.00	2,565.00	2,368.00	1,184.00
8	68,469.00	5,706.00	2,853.00	2,634.00	1,317.00
Each additional person:	6,919.00	577.00	289.00	267.00	134.00