FREE OR REDUCED SCHOOL LUNCH

The District has entered into an agreement with the state Department of Education to provide meals to all students. Students from families whose income is at or below that listed in the Family Size/Income scale published by the State Department of Education will be eligible for free or reduced price meals.

Compliance of this agreement is required at all meal locations. The agreement consists of the following:

A copy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Policy Statement for Free and/or Reduced Price Meals must be on file in the principal’s office where it may be reviewed by any interested party. A revised copy of the statement will be provided to each principal in August of each year or as it changes.

The District agrees that there will be no physical segregation or discrimination against any child because of his/her ability or inability to pay the full price of a meal.

Application Procedure

  1. An application blank and a letter to the parents must be sent home with every student at the beginning of each school year. Additional applications will be maintained in each principal’s office for new students entering school. The Food Service Director will provide the information to be sent home to parents.
  2. According to the agreement, the principals and Food Service Director and their designees are designated as responsible agents for determining eligibility for free and/or reduced meals.
  3. Applications for free or reduced meals must be completed by the parents or guardians and returned to the principal or Food Service manager.
  4. An up-to-date, confidential list of students approved for free and/or reduced meals will be maintained. Individual eligibility status of students must remain confidential. Access to these student records is available only to selected food service personnel, Medicaid personnel and the school principal. Requests for this information will be forwarded to the Food Service Director.
  5. All applications must be kept on hand for seven years. Individual eligibility status of students must remain confidential. Access to these records is available only to selected food service personnel, Medicaid personnel and the school principal. All requests to information should be directed to the Food Service Director.
  6. Parents whose children have not been found eligible have the right of appeal before a Fair Hearing Board. Request for a review of eligibility must be in writing and addressed to the Food Service Director, who forwards a copy of the request to the principal. If necessary, the Director will set up a Fair Hearing Board.

Any overt identification of students is against Administrative policy and Federal regulations. Uniform collection procedures with category coding will be used along with the exchange of cash in payment for meals.

Periodically the APS Community Relations Office will publicly announce the availability of free and/or reduced meals.

 

 

NSBA/NEPN Classification: EFC

Revised: May 1995

Revised: April 1996

Revised: May 1997

Revised: May 22, 2000