Four schools offering free meals to all students
August 24, 2018
Richland School District Two elementary schools — Jackson Creek, Joseph Keels, L.W. Conder Arts Integrated Magnet and Windsor — are participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2018-2019 school year. All students enrolled in these schools may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications. This is the first year Jackson Creek has participated in CEP and the second for the other schools.
Parents or guardians that do not want their child/children to participate in CEP may wish to discuss this matter with Nicole Holley at [email protected] or 803.419.2716 on an informal basis.
Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally (803.736.3774) or in writing to Will Anderson whose address is: 124 Risdon Way, Columbia, SC 29223 for a hearing to appeal the decision.
Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1))(the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision. All students enrolled in the school/district may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them.
FREE AND REDUCED MEAL APPLICATIONS AVAIALABLE NOW
Richland Two also announced today its policy for free and reduced price meals for children served in schools under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Local school officials have adopted the following household size and income criteria for determining eligibility:
Parents must fill out an application each year for children to receive meals at free or reduced price. Students who received free/reduced price meals during the 2017-2018 school year will begin paying full price if an application for the current school year is not submitted by Oct. 3, 2018. Applications may be completed online or on paper. Both can be found at www.richland2.org/freeandreduced.
The following table shows the household size and income criteria for determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals.
Household Size and Income Guidelines for Free Meals or Reduced Price Meals
Effective July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019
| Household size
|
(1) Free meals – 130% | (2) Reduced price meals – 185% | |||||||||||||
| Annual | Monthly | Twice per month | Every two weeks | Weekly | Annual | Monthly | Twice per month | Every two weeks | Weekly | ||||||
| 1…………………… | 15,782 | 1,316 | 658 | 607 | 304 | 22,459 | 1,872 | 936 | 864 | 432 | |||||
| 2…………………… | 21,398 | 1,784 | 892 | 823 | 412 | 30,451 | 2,538 | 1,269 | 1,172 | 586 | |||||
| 3…………………… | 27,014 | 2,252 | 1,126 | 1,039 | 520 | 38,443 | 3,204 | 1,602 | 1,479 | 740 | |||||
| 4…………………… | 32,630 | 2,720 | 1,360 | 1,255 | 628 | 46,435 | 3,870 | 1,935 | 1,786 | 893 | |||||
| 5…………………… | 38,246 | 3,188 | 1,594 | 1,471 | 736 | 54,427 | 4,536 | 2,268 | 2,094 | 1,047 | |||||
| 6…………………… | 43,862 | 3,656 | 1,828 | 1,687 | 844 | 62,419 | 5,202 | 2,601 | 2,401 | 1,201 | |||||
| 7…………………… | 49,478 | 4,124 | 2,062 | 1,903 | 952 | 70,411 | 5,868 | 2,934 | 2,709 | 1,355 | |||||
| 8…………………… | 55,094 | 4,592 | 2,296 | 2,119 | 1,060 | 78,403 | 6,534 | 3,267 | 3,016 | 1,508 | |||||
| For each additional family member, add | 5,616 | 468 | 234 | 216 | 108 | 7,992 | 666 | 333 | 308 | 154 | |||||
Who Qualifies?
- Children from families whose income is at or below the levels shown may be eligible for free or reduced price meals. To determine eligibility for free/reduced meal status the household must provide the following information on the application: (1) A SNAP or TANF case number certifying the household is currently eligible for either of these assistance programs and an adult household member signature or (2) names of all household members, the name and last four digits of the social security number of the adult household member signing the application form, current income by source of each household member and a signature of an adult household member certifying the information provided is correct.
- Foster children may also be eligible for these benefits regardless of household income. If a household has foster children living with them and the household has not been previously notified by the School District that their foster children have been directly certified for free meals, the household may either include or count the foster children (including personal income earned by the foster children) on the household application form with other non-foster children or complete a separate form with the names of the foster children.
Under the provisions of the policy Nicole Holley ([email protected] or 803.419.2716) will review applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians dissatisfied with the ruling of the reviewing official may wish to discuss the decision with the reviewer on an informal basis. Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally (803.736.3774) or in writing to Will Anderson whose address is: 124 Risdon Way, Columbia, SC 29223 for a hearing to appeal the decision. The hearing procedures are outlined in the policy. If a household member becomes unemployed or the household size changes, the household should contact the school to If a household member becomes unemployed or if household size changes, the household should contact the school to file a meal application. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for free or reduced price meals if the household income falls at or below the levels shown above. A complete copy of the policy is on file in each school and in the office of the District Superintendent where any interested party may review it.
