Applications for the 2009-2010 school year will be mailed to all households in early August 2009
2 0 09 - 2010 EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR SCHOOLS
INCLUDING SCHOOL MEALS
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Our school provides healthy meals each day . Breakfast at no charge in designated sites only. Full priced lunches are $2.00 in elementary and $2.25 in secondary. Milk is available for .40 cents. Elementary students who forget their lunch money or cold lunch and do not have money in their account will receive a bag lunch only.
Your children may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Reduced price is $.40 for lunch. "Reduced-price" breakfasts are served at no charge. To apply for free or reduced-price school meals, complete the enclosed Application for Educational Benefits following the enclosed instructions. This also helps our school qualify for additional education funds and discounts.
Return your completed Application for Educational Benefits to: Child Nutrition, 215 N. 1st Ave East, Duluth, MN 55802
Who can get free or reduced-price meals? Children in households participating in Food Support (Stamps), Minnesota Family Investment Plan (MFIP), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and most foster children can get free school meals without reporting household income. Also, children can get free or reduced-price meals if their household income is within the income shown for the household size. An application cannot be approved if any required information is missing.
I get WIC. Can my children get free meals? Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Please fill out an application.
Should I fill out an application if I got a letter this school year saying my children were "directly certified" for free meals? Do not fill out an application if all of your children have been directly certified for free school meals based on data from the Minnesota Department of Human Services. If only some of your children were directly certified, you can fill out an application for your children who were not directly certified.
Will the information I give be checked? Yes, we may ask you to send written proof.
If I don't qualify now, may I apply later? Yes. You may apply at any time during the school year if your income goes down, household size goes up or if you start getting Food Support (Stamps), MFIP, or FDPIR benefits.
May I apply if someone in my household is not a U.S. citizen? Yes. You or your children do not have to be U.S. citizens for your children to qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Do I need to provide my Social Security number? When household income is reported on an application, the National School Lunch Act allows meal benefits to be approved only if the person signing the application provides his/her Social Security number or does not have a Social Security number. A Social Security number is not needed when public assistance case numbers are provided, or when the application is for a foster child.
(Social Security numbers are maintained by the school as private data and are not used for any other purpose.)
Who should I include as members of my household? Include yourself and all other people living in the household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relatives or friends). Include a household member who is temporarily away, such as a college student.
What if my income is not always the same? List the amount that you normally get. If you normally get overtime, include it, but not if you get it only sometimes.
How will the information I provide be kept? Information you provide on the form, and your child's approval for school meal benefits, will be protected as private data. See the back page of the application for details on data privacy.
What if I disagree with the school's decision about my application? You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing.
Do I need to notify school officials if my income increases or my household size decreases after I have qualified for free or reduced-price meals? No. Approval for free or reduced-price meals is good for the school year.
If you have other questions or need help, call 336-87007.
To help your child, your school and yourself, please submit your free and reduced lunch application by the October 1, 2009 deadline.
Why is it important to turn in the free and reduced lunch application by October 1, 2009? In order for your school to receive extra federal funding (which can keep classes small), our district must submit your application to the federal government by October 1, 2009. Applications sent to the federal government after that time will not help schools receive extra funding. Also, if you don't submit the form and aren't able to pay your lunch bill, the federal government may not reimburse your school for all your child's meals. In short, your school loses money.
An additional benefit for families of students that are in activities is that they will pay a lower fee or no fee for participating in an activity if you qualify for free or reduced lunch.
What happens if I turn in the application later in the year?
You will still be eligible for free or reduced lunches, but you won't help your school qualify for extra federal funding. Also, some families are not able to pay their lunch bill and build up a debt. Then, later in the year, they submit an application. Unfortunately, the federal government will only reimburse your school for the last 30 days worth of lunches. In other words, if a family goes into lunch debt over a period of 90 days and then files a free and reduced lunch application, the district will receive reimbursement for the last 30 days worth of lunches, not all 90 days of lunches.
Does the district "forgive" lunch debt if a family later turns in an application?
The district no longer "forgives" outstanding lunch debt. Consistent with the treatment of other debts owed to the district, all outstanding debt related to the lunch program will be subject to handling by a collection agency.
How often do I need to fill out the application?
You must submit a new application each school year. You need just one application per family with names of all the adults and children who live in your household.
What is new with Child Nutrition?
Child Nutrition has continued to improve our computer system. To utilize the system students and staff enter their ID numbers into a keypad at all points of service in the cafeteria. All transactions for that student are saved in their history file, as well as their account balance. Payment for lunch is expected at the time the meal is served. Payments are to be sent to the school cafeteria in an envelope, labeled with the student's name, ID number and grade. A $30 service charge will be added to all returned checks. Payments can also be done on-line at www.paypams.com . Account balances are also on the parent portal in Infinite Campus.
Can you help me if I have trouble filling out the application?
Yes, if you need help with the form, please call the Child Nutrition Department at 336-8707 and they will be happy to assist you. Forms are available in the following languages: English, Hmong, Cambodian, Laotian, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Send the completed form to: Child Nutrition Department, Room 305, 215 North First Avenue East, Duluth, MN 55802.
