The Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services, has finalized its policy for free and reduced price meals for students unable to pay the full price of meals served under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program and the Afterschool Care Snack Program.
Free meals are available to homes with three people at $32,318 or lower yearly income ($2,694 monthly, $1347 twice a month, $1,243 every two weeks or $622 a week) and four people for $39,000 or lower yearly income ($3,250 monthly, $1,625, $1,500, $750). For each additional family member add $6,682 yearly income, $557 to monthly income, $279 to twice a month income, $257 to every two weeks income or $129 to weekly income to find the income eligibility guidelines.
Reduced price meals are available to homes with three people who make less than $45,991 yearly ($3,833 monthly, $1,917 twice a month, $1,769 every two weeks or $885 weekly) or families of four who make lless than $55,000 yearly ($4,625 monthly, $2,313 twice a month, $2135 twice a week or $1,068 weekly). For each additional family member, add $9,509 to yearly income ($793 monthly income, $397 twice a month income, $366 twice a week income or $183 weekly income) to find the income eligibility guidelines for your family size.
Households may be eligible for free or reduced-price meal benefits one of four ways
1. Households whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for reduced price meals or free meals, if they complete an application for free and reduced price school meals/milk. Households may complete one application listing all children and return it to your student’s school.
2. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households, students receiving benefits under the Family Investment Program (FIP) and students in a few specific Medicaid programs are eligible for free or reduced price meals. Most students from SNAP and FIP households will be qualified for free meals automatically. These households will receive a letter from their student’s schools notifying them of their benefits. Households that receive a letter from the school need to do nothing more for their student(s) to receive free or reduced price meals. No further application is necessary. If any students were not listed on the notice of eligibility, the household should contact the school to have free or reduced price meal benefits extended to them.
3. Some SNAP and FIP households will receive a letter from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) which will qualify the children listed on the letter for free meals. Parents must take this letter to the student’s school to receive free meals.
4. SNAP or FIP households receiving benefits that do not receive a letter from DHHS must complete an application with the abbreviated information as indicated on the application and instructions, for their studentsto receive free meals. When the application lists an assistance program’s case number for any household member, eligibility for free benefits is extended to all students in a household. Eligibility from the previous year will continue within the same school for up to 30 operating days into the new school year. When the carryover period ends, unless the household is notified that their students are directly certified or the household submits an application that is approved, the students must pay full price for school meals and the school will not send a reminder or a notice of expired eligibility. An application cannot be approved unless complete eligibility information is submitted.
Applications may be submitted at any time during the year. If a family member becomes unemployed the family should contact the school to complete an application. Households notified of their student’s eligibility must contact the school if the household chooses to decline the free meal benefits.
When known by the school, households will be notified of any child eligible for free meals if the children are enrolled in the Head Start/Even Start program or are considered homeless, migrant or runaway. If any children are not listed on the notice of eligibility, contact the school for assistance in receiving benefits. If households are dissatisfied with the application approval done by the officials, they may make a formal appeal either orally or in writing to the school’s designated hearing official. The policy statement on file at the school contains an outline of the hearing procedure.
School officials may verify the information in the application, and that deliberate misrepresentation of information may subject the applicant to prosecution under applicable state and federal criminal statutes. Households should contact their local school for additional information.
There will be no discrimination against individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in the school meal programs.