MEALS ARE *FREE* FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR

Dear Parents and Caregivers,  

Through funding from the USDA and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, students will again have access to free meals in Lexington Public Schools this upcoming 2024-2025 school year for all students regardless of household income.  In order for your child to receive a meal at no cost, your child MUST take the entire breakfast or lunch provided by the Food Service Program in order for the school district to get reimbursed for the meal by the State of Massachusetts.  Students who do not take the full meal will be charged for items chosen. Ala carte items such as water, extra meal, cookies, icecream, snacks etc. are all chargeable items to the student. Please help the Food Service Department in explaining to your child what is free and what is chargeable when your child is choosing their breakfast and lunch meals or any additional food items. 

FAMILIES IN NEED OF ADDITIONAL FOOD ASSISTANCE

If your family is in need of additional food assistance benefits that may be available through the State of Massachusetts, families should fill out a Free and Reduced Lunch Application before the beginning of school.  By filling out an application, your child will be all set for the beginning of the school year for any eligibility for additional food assistance programs that may be offered by the State of MA.  Parents/Guardians only need to fill out one application per family each year. If you are not receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and have been approved for free or reduced-price school meals, your family may be eligible for SNAP which provides monthly financial assistance to purchase groceries to MA residents who qualify. If you are interested in more information regarding this program, please call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333 or apply online at DTA Connect: https://dtaconnect.eohhs.mass.gov/apply.

Special Note: If your child is approved for reduced price lunch, your child is still eligible to receive free meals at school.  The Reduced Price Lunch approval is a guideline used by the State of Massachusetts to ensure students in need are eligible to receive additional food assistance if offered through the State of Massachusetts.

Free and Reduced Lunch Applications can be found online at https://www.myschoolapps.com/; by email at dharvey@lexingtonma.org, LPS website at https://sites.google.com/lexingtonma.org/lpsfoodservices/home, click FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH APPLICATION or in your child’s school Main Offices.  Any questions regarding Free and Reduced Lunch meals, please contact Debbie Harvey at dharvey@lexingtonma.org or call 781-861-2580 x68062.  MySchoolBucks or any Food Service related questions can be directed to Hannah Yoo, Assitant Director of Food Service at 781-861-2320 x69108 or by email at hyoo@lexingtonma.org. 

STUDENT MEAL MODIFICATION REQUEST INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) nondiscrimination regulation (7 CFR 15b), as well as the regulations governing the Child Nutrition Programs, make it clear that substitutions to the regular meal must be made, at no extra cost, for children who are unable to eat meals served in any Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) because of their disabilities. 

Parents/Guardians who need to make a meal modification for their child’s school meals while in school need to fill out a Lexington Public Schools Meal Modification Form.  The Student Meal Modification Form can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L2kki25deGf_8SnJMGJyNPcbteuI9BiOEvCskiEVFH4/edit?usp=sharing

After filling out the Student Meal Modification Form, parents should submit their form to their child’s school Nurse’s Office where your child attends school either by email, mail or submitting it through their child’s school Main Office.  The process for approving these requests are as follows:  

1. School Nurse reviews the Meal Modification Form and contacts families with any questions the nurse may have regarding their modification request.

2. Once reviewed by the school Nurse, the modification form will be given to the Food Service Department.

3. The Food Service Department will review the request and try to make a reasonable accommodation to meet the child’s requested meal modification.  

4. The Food Service Department will notify the family when their child’s meal modification has been confirmed and implemented within a reasonable time period from when form is received by the Food Service Department.  If the Food Service Department has any questions regarding the modification form submitted, the school Food Service Dietician will reach out to the families to obtain more information before modification is implemented.

5. Questions regarding a child’s meal modification can be directed to a child’s School Nurse.

Click on the link below for a copy of the Meal Modification Form each parent needs to fill out for their child in order for meal modification to be put in place for their child.  If you have any questions regarding anything regarding Food Service, please contact Jenny Bailey, Assistant District Manager of Food Service at jbailey@lexingtonma.org or 781-861-2580 x69108.

Best,

Whitsons Culinary Group at Lexington Public Schools

*A meal qualifies for free if it has at least THREE out of the FIVE meal components: grain, meat/meat alternative, fruits, vegetable, and dairy. One of the those three components must be a half cup of fruit or vegetable. If your child does not get all three, they will be charged a la carte for the meal. We encourage all students to grab a fruit and if they do not want it, they can place it in the Share Cooler, a mini-fridge that students can use to put food for other students to eat for free. One breakfast and one lunch are free per day per student. 

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. 

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: 

1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 

2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or 

3. email: program.intake@usda.gov 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 

 MASSHealth Nondiscimination information found HERE