BREAKFAST AND LUNCH ARE FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS FOR THE ENTIRE 2022/2023 SCHOOL YEAR!!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get free or reduced price school meals for my child? You must complete the Free and Reduced Price School Meal Application. You must submit a new form each school year. Only one form per household is needed.

· Households getting SNAP, TANF, or benefits from FDPIR. You only have to include your child’s name and case number, and an adult household member must sign the form.

· Households that do not get SNAP, TANF, or benefits from FDPIR. If you do not have a case number, you must include the names of all household members, the amount of income each person got last month and where the income came from. An adult household member must sign the form and include the last four digits of his/her social security number, or indicate that he or she has none.

· Households with a foster child. You only have to include the child’s name and check the box indicating that the child is a Foster Child on the Meal Application, and an adult must sign the form.

Should I fill out an application if I received a letter this school year saying my children are already approved for free meals? No, but please read the letter you got carefully and follow the instructions.

My child’s application was approved last year. Do I need to fill out a new one? Yes. A new application must be submitted each school year unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year. If you do not send in a new application that is approved by the school or you have not been notified that your child is eligible for free meals, your child will be charged the full price for meals.

Do I need to fill out an application for each child? No. Use one Application for all students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information.

Are some families automatically qualified for free meals? Some families will receive a letter from the School Nutrition Office stating that they are directly certified for free school meals based on their eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), or Foster Child status. Families that receive a letter do not need to fill out a free and reduced-price meal application for the student(s) listed on the letter. They will receive free school meals unless you notify us that you do not want to receive these benefits. If there are student(s) in your household that were not listed on the letter, please contact the School Nutrition Office at your earliest convenience.

Will the form be verified? Your eligibility may be checked at any time during the school year. School officials may ask you to send written evidence that shows your child should get free or reduced price school meals. If you do not respond to the verification process you will lose your free or reduced benefits and return to paid status.

Can I appeal the school’s decision? You can talk to school officials if you do not agree with the school’s decision on your form. You also may ask for a fair hearing by calling or writing to: Larry Malone, RSU #57 Superintendent 86 West Road Waterboro, Maine 04087 (207)247-3221

Will information on my form be kept confidential? We will use the information on your form to decide if your child should get free or reduced price meals. We may inform officials connected with other child nutrition, health and education programs of the information on your form to determine benefits for those programs or for funding and/or evaluation purposes. You have the option to allow us to share your information with other departments within the RSU #57 District such as, but not limited to Technology, Athletics, Administration & Guidance.

Can I apply for free and reduced price meals later? You may apply for free and reduced price meals at any time during the school year. If you are not eligible now but have a change, like a decrease in household income, an increase in household size, become unemployed or get SNAP, TANF or benefits from FDPIR, complete a form then.

May I apply if someone in my household is not A U.S. citizen? Yes. You, your children, or other household members do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply for free or reduced-price meals.

What if my income is not always the same? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only made $900, put down that you made $1000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.

What if some household members have no income to report? Household members may not receive some types of income we ask you to report on the application or may not receive income at all. Whenever this happens, please write a 0 in the field. However, if any income fields are left empty or blank, those will also be counted as zeroes. Please be careful when leaving income fields blank, as we will assume you meant to do so.

We are in the military. Do we report our income differently? Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, it must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.

What if there isn’t enough space on the application for my family? List any additional household members on a separate piece of paper and attach it to your application.

How will I know if my family qualifies for free or reduced meals? We will let you know if you are approved or denied for benefits. If you do not receive notification within 2-3 weeks of submitting your application please contact the RSU #57 School Nutrition Office.