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To get this form on paper please go to one of the
Red Creek Central School Offices
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Children need healthy meals to learn.
The Red
Creek Central School District offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast
costs $.85 and lunch costs $1.25 at the M.W Cuyler Elementary School and $1.40
at the Junior-Senior High School. Children from households that meet
federal income guidelines (outlined below) are eligible for free meals or
reduced price meals. Reduced price meals cost each eligible student $.25
for lunch and $.25 for breakfast. To apply for free or reduced price meals,
submit a Direct Certification letter from the NYS Office of Temporary and
Disability Assistance OR complete an application, sign
it, and return it to your school as soon as possible. Please refer to
the guidelines contained in this letter when completing the application.
We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill
out all the required information.
 DO
I NEED TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH CHILD? No.
Complete the application to apply for free or reduced price meals. Do not
fill out more than one application for your household.
WHO CAN GET FREE MEALS? Children in
households getting Food Stamps or TANF and most foster children can get free
meals regardless of your income. Also, your children can get free price
meals if your household income is within the free limits on the Federal
Income Guidelines. Each foster child must be listed on a separate
application, with Part 2 completed and include an adult signature.
CAN
HOMELESS, RUNAWAY and MIGRANT CHILDREN GET FREE MEALS?
Please call the school to see if your child(ren) qualify, if you have not
been informed that they will get free meals.
WHO
CAN GET REDUCED PRICE MEALS? Your
children can get low costs meals if your household income is within the
reduced price limits on the Federal Income Chart, shown at the bottom of
this page.
SHOULD
I FILL OUT AN APPLICATION IF I RECEIVED A LETTER THIS SCHOOL YEAR SAYING
MY CHILDREN ARE APPROVED FOR FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS?
Please read the letter you received carefully and
follow the instructions. Call the school if you have questions.
I
GET WIC, CAN MY CHILD(REN) GET FREE MEALS?
Children in households participating in WIC may be
eligible for free or reduced price meals. Please fill out an application.
WILL
THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED? The
school may ask you at any time during the school year to verify your
eligibility. You will be notified, in writing, if you have been selected
for Verification. School officials may ask you to send papers showing that
your child should receive free or reduced lunch price meals at the time
you applied.
IF
I DON'T QUALIFY NOW, MAY I APPLY LATER? Yes. You may apply at any time during the school year if you household
size goes up, income goes down, of if you start getting food stamps, TANF
or other benefits. If you lose your job, your children may be able to get
free or reduced price meals.
WHAT
IF I DISAGREE WITH THE SCHOOL'S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION?
You should talk to school officials. You also may
ask for a hearing by calling or writing to: Andrew DiBlasi, Hearing
Officer, 315-754-2016.
MAY
I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN?
Yes. You or your child(ren) do not have to be a U.S.
citizen to qualify for free or reduced price meals..
WHO
SHOULD I INCLUDE AS MEMBERS OF MY HOUSEHOLD?
You must include all people living in your household, related or not (such as
grandparents, other relatives, or friends). You must include yourself and
all children who live with you.
WHAT
IF MY INCOME IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME?
List the amount you normally get. For example, if you
normally get $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only
got $900, put down that you get $1000 a month. If you normally get
overtime, include it, but not if you get it only sometimes.
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How
to Apply: To get free or reduced
price meals for your children you may submit a Direct Certification
Letter received from the NYS office of Temporary and Disability Assistance,
OR carefully complete one application for your household and return it
to the designated office. If you now receive food tamps, Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) for any children, or participate in
the Food Distribution Program for Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the
application must include the children's names, the household food stamp,
TANF or FDPIR number and the signature of an adult household member. All
Children with the same case number may be listed on the same
application. Separate applications are required for children with
different case numbers. If you do not list a food stamp, TANF or
FDPIR number for all the children for whom you are applying, the
application must include the names of everyone in the household, the
amount of income for each household member, and how often it is received
and where
it comes from. It must include the signature of an adult household member
and that adult's social security number, or the word "none" if the adult
does not have a social security number. An application that is not
complete cannot be approved. Contact your local Department of Social
Services for your food stamp or TANF number or complete the income portion
of the application.
Reporting
Changes: The benefits that you are
approved for at the time of application are effective for the entire
school year. You no longer need to report changes for an increase in
income or decrease in household size, or if you no longer receive food
stamps.
Income
Exclusions: The value of any child
care provided or arranged, or any amount received as payment for such
child care reimbursement for costs incurred for such care under the
Child care Development (Block Grant) Fund should not be considered as
income for this program.
Nondiscrimination
Statement: This explains what to do if you believe you have
been treated unfairly. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of
Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on
this basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. To
file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA,. Director, office of
Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice & TDD). USDA is
an equal opportunity provider & employer.
Meal
Service to Children with Disabilities:
Federal regulation require schools and institutions to
serve meals at no extra charge to children with a disability which may
restrict their diet. A student with a disability is defined in 7CFR Part
15b.3 of Federal regulations, as one who has a physical or mental
impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Major life activities are defined to include functions such as
caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing,
speaking, breathing, learning and working. You must request the
special meals from the school and provide the school with medical
certification from a medical doctor. If you believe your child needs
substitutions because of a disability, please get in touch with us for
further information, as there is specific information that medical
certification must
contain.
Confidentiality:
The United States Department of
Agriculture has approved the release of students' names and eligibility
status, without parent/guardian consent, to persons directly connected
with the administration of enforcement of federal education programs such
as Title I and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which
are United States Department of Education Programs used to determine areas
such as the allocation of funds to schools, to United States Department of
education Programs used to determine areas such as the allocation of funds
to schools, to evaluate socioeconomic status of the school's attendance
area, and to assess educational progress. Information may also be released
to State Health or State Education programs administered by the State
agency or local education agency, provided the State or local education
agency administers the program, and federal State or local nutrition
programs similar to the National School Lunch Program. Additionally, all
information contained in the free and reduced price application may be
released to persons directly connected with the administration or
enforcement of programs authorized under the National School Lunch Act (NSLA)
or Child Nutrition Act (CNA); including the National School Lunch and School
Breakfast Programs, the Special Milk Program, the Child and Adult Care Food
Program, Summer Food Service Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); the Comptroller General of
the United Sates for audit purposes, and federal, State or local law
enforcement officials investigating alleged violation of the programs
under the NSLA or CNA.
The disclosure of eligibility information not
specifically authorized by the NSLA requires a written consent statement
from the parent/guardian.
We will let you know when your application is
approved or denied.
Fair
Hearing: If you do not agree with the
school's decision on your application or the result of verification, you
may wish to discuss it with the school. You also have the right to a fair
hearing. This can be done by calling
754-2016 or writing the following
official:
Mr.Andrew J. DiBlasi, Hearing Officer
Red Creek School District
Church Street, PO Box 190
Red Creek, New York 13143
To get this
form on paper please go to one of the
Red Creek Central School Offices
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