NEWS RELEASE FROM THE SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT: Free and Reduced Lunch Policy Announced

News Release from San Diego Unified School District

Sept. 8, 2015

Contact:  Tara McNamara, Food and Nutrition Services marketing coordinator, 858-627-7316 or tmcnamara@sandi.net

 

Free and Reduced Lunch Policy Announced

 

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Unified School District today announced its policy for providing free and reduced-price meals for children served under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The Food and Nutrition Services central office has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party.

 

The household size and income criteria identified below will be used to determine eligibility for free, reduced-price, or full-price meal benefits. Currently, there is no charge for reduced-price meals at San Diego Unified schools, and full-price meal rates are $1.00 for breakfast, $2.00 for elementary lunch and $2.50 for secondary lunch. Children from households whose gross income is at or below the levels shown in the table below are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Households who receive CalFresh (also known as SNAP or Food Stamps), California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs), Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payments (Kin-GAP), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) benefits are automatically eligible for free meals regardless of the income of the household in which they reside. 

 

Application forms will be distributed to households with a letter informing them of the availability of free and reduced-price meals for enrolled children. Applications are also available in the school office. To apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits, households must complete an application and return it to the school office or mail it to the central Food and Nutrition Services office for processing. Households may also apply online by going to www.sandi.net/food and then clicking on the Meal Applications & Payment Options tab on the left hand side. Applications may be submitted at any time during the school year. The information households provide on the application will be used to determine meal eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by school or program officials.

 

Requirements for school officials to determine eligibility for free and reduced-price benefits are as follows:

 

·         For households receiving CalFresh, CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, or FDPIR benefits applications only need to include the enrolled child's name, CalFresh, CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, or FDPIR case number, name of the household member receiving benefits, and the signature of an adult household member.

 

·         For households who do not list a CalFresh CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, or FDPIR case number, the application must include the names of all household members, the gross monthly amount and source of the income received by each household member, and the signature and corresponding last four digits of the adult household member’s Social Security number. If the household member who signs the application does not have a Social Security number, the household member must check the box indicating on the application that they do not have a Social Security number.

 

Under the provisions of the free and reduced-price meal policy, the determining official(s), as designated by San Diego Unified Food and Nutrition Services Department, shall review applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians dissatisfied with the eligibility ruling may discuss the decision with the determining official on an informal basis. Parents may also make a formal request for an appeal hearing of the decision and may do so orally or in writing with the Food and Nutrition Services hearing official. Parents or guardians should contact Food and Nutrition Services for specific information regarding the name of the determining official and/or hearing official for San Diego Unified.

 

If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size increases, the household should contact Food and Nutrition Services. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for benefits if the household's income falls at or below the levels as shown below.

 

Households that receive CalFresh, CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, FDPIR or students that receive Medi-Cal benefits and meet the income thresholds may not have to complete an application for free or reduced-price meals. Food and Nutrition Services officials will determine eligibility for free meals based on documentation obtained directly from the United States Department of Health and Human Services office that a child is a member of a household currently receiving CalFresh or FDPIR benefits or is an assistance unit receiving CalWORKs, Kin-GAP or Medi-Cal benefits. Food Services officials will notify households of their eligibility prior to the start of school.

 

To find out more about the free and reduced-price meal program, contact Food and Nutrition Services at 858-627-7328 or on the web at www.sandi.net/food Meal Applications & Payment Options tab.

 

San Diego Unified also participates in the National School Lunch/Breakfast Programs Provision 2 program, which is a program that reduces application burdens, simplifies meal counting and claiming procedures, and provides meals at no charge to all students attending schools operating under Provision 2. In the 2015-2016 school year, epiphany Prep and Morse HS will begin the base year of Provision 2. The district has 97 other schools participating in Provision 2 where all students are receiving meals at no charge. For a listing of schools, please go to www.sandi.net/food Meal Applications & Payment Options tab.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department.  (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)  If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form.  You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form.  Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.  Individuals who re deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish).  USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

 

2015-2016 Household Size and Income Eligibility Scales

Participants from households with incomes at or below the following levels may be eligible for free and reduced-price meals or free milk:

 

	Free Eligibility Scale for Lunch, Breakfast, and Milk					Reduced-Price Eligibility Scale for Lunch and Breakfast
Household size	Year	Month	Twice per Month	Every Two Weeks	Week	Year	Month	Twice per Month	Every Two Weeks	Week
1	$ 15,301	$ 1,276	$ 638	$ 589	$ 295	$ 21,775	$ 1,815	$ 908	$ 838	$ 419
2	20,709	1,726	863	797	399	29,471	2,456	1,228	1,134	567
3	26,117	2,177	1,089	1,005	503	37,167	3,098	1,549	1,430	715
4	31,525	2,628	1,314	1,213	607	44,863	3,739	1,870	1,726	863
5	36,933	3,078	1,539	1,421	711	52,559	4,380	2,190	2,022	1,011
6	42,341	3,529	1,765	1,629	815	60,255	5,022	2,511	2,318	1,159
7	47,749	3,980	1,990	1,837	919	67,951	5,663	2,832	2,614	1,307
8	53,157	4,430	2,215	2,045	1,023	75,647	6,304	3,152	2,910	1,455
For each additional family member, add:
	$ 5,408	$ 451	$ 226	$ 208	$ 104	$ 7,511	$ 642	$ 321	$ 296	$ 148

 

 

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