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To ready families for the return of student meal applications, districts promoted the change on social media, flyers, newsletters and school websites, school officials said. Some schools also included the application in all students’ back-to-school packets.
Households with incomes between 130% and 185% of the federal poverty level qualify for reduced-price meals. That's an annual income for a four-person household between $36,075 and $51,338. These families can’t be charged more than 40 cents for lunch and 30 cents for breakfast.public assistance programsFree and reduced school food program applications can typically be found on school district websites. Students should also be provided with a paper version, school officials said.
School officials also worry that restoring the income requirements and application will mean some families in need of assistance won't get it. Income requirements are an inexact way of determining need and some families who do qualify may not complete the application. School meals are a consistent food source for students who are food insecure. Ashley St. Thomas, the director of policy and innovation for the Arizona Food Bank Network, said school meals are often the only hot meal that kids receive each day.
“We're watching everything, and we're making sure that we're not being wasteful,” said Gleave. “I want to make sure that we're still able to provide meals to the families at very minimal cost to them.”