National School Lunch and Breakfast Program

Last Wednesday Colton Joint Unified School District announced that it will provide free and reduced-price meals for children who qualify under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for the 2014-15 school year. The household size and income criteria identified in the photo will be used to determine eligibility for free, reduced-price, or full-price meal benefits. Children from households whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Children who receive CalFresh (formerly food stamp), California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs), Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payments (KinGAP), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) benefits are automatically eligible regardless of the income of the household in which they reside. Eligibility for a foster child is based on an application noting that the student is a foster child. An online application form, which includes a letter regarding the availability of free and reduced-priced meals for enrolled students, is available at https://coltonjusd.rocketscanapps.com. Paper applications are also available at the principal's office in each school or the district’s Nutrition Services’ office. To apply for free or reduced-price meals, households must complete the online application or a paper application which is to be returned to the school or District Nutrition Services office for processing. 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 (food stamps), CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, or FDPIR benefits – applications need only include the enrolled child(ren)'s name, CalFresh (food stamp), CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, or FDPIR case number, and the signature of an adult household member. • For households who do not list a CalFresh (food stamp), CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, or FDPIR case number, the application must include the names of all household members, the amount and source of the income received by each household member, and the signature and corresponding last four digits of the Social Security number of an adult household member. If the household member who signs the application does not have a Social Security number, the household member must indicate on the application that a Social Security number is not available. Under the provisions of the free and reduced-price meal policy, the determining officials, as designated by the sponsor/agency, 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 sponsor/agency’s hearing official. Parents or guardians should contact the District Nutrition Services Department for specific information regarding the name of the determining official and/or hearing official. If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size increases, the household should contact the Nutrition Services Department. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for benefits if the household's income falls at or below the levels shown above. Those who do not want their child(ren) to receive free meals must contact the District’s Nutrition Services Office. CalFresh (food stamp), CalWORKs, KinGAP, and FDPIR households should complete an application if they were not notified of their eligibility by Aug. 1 of this year.