FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FREE AND REDUCED PRICE SCHOOL MEALS
Children need healthy meals to learn. Carter County School System offers
healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs $1.40; lunch costs $2.15. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals.
Reduced price is $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch. This packet includes an application for free or reduced
price meal benefits, and a set of detailed instructions. Below are some common
questions and answers to help you with the application process.
Who can get free OR REDUCED PRICE meals? All children in households receiving benefits from TN SNAP or Families First, are
eligible for free meals. Foster children that are under
the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free
meals. Children participating in their
school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals. Children who meet the definition of homeless,
runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals. Children may receive free or reduced price meals
if your household’s income is within the limits on the Federal Income
Eligibility Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price
meals if your household income falls at or below the limits on this chart.
FEDERAL
ELIGIBILITY INCOME CHART For School Year 2015-2016
|
Household
size
|
Yearly
|
Monthly
|
Twice per month
AQUOS
|
Every two
weeks
|
Weekly
|
1
|
21,775
|
1,815
|
908
|
838
|
419
|
2
|
29,471
|
2,456
|
1,228
|
1,134
|
567
|
3
|
37,167
|
3,098
|
1,549
|
1,430
|
715
|
4
|
44,863
|
3,739
|
1,870
|
1,726
|
863
|
5
|
52,559
|
4,380
|
2,190
|
2,022
|
1,011
|
6
|
60,255
|
5,022
|
2,511
|
2,318
|
1,159
|
7
|
67,951
|
5,663
|
2,832
|
2,614
|
1,307
|
8
|
75,647
|
6,304
|
3,152
|
2,910
|
1,455
|
Each
additional person:
|
7,696
|
642
|
321
|
296
|
148
|
HOW DO I
KNOW IF MY CHILDREN QUALIFY AS homeless, MIGRANT, OR RUNAWAY? Do the members of your household lack a
permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other
temporary housing arrangement? Does your family relocate on a seasonal basis? Are
any children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or
household? If you believe children in your household meet these descriptions
and haven’t been told your children will get free meals, please call your student's school or Carter County School's Federal Programs Department. Do I need to
fill out an application for each child? No. Use one Free and
Reduced Price School Meals 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. Return the completed application to: Carter County School Nutrition Department, 305 Academy Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643. You may also return it to your student's school. 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. If any children in
your household were missing from your eligibility notification, contact the Carter County School Nutrition Department at 423-547-2917 immediately. MY CHILD’S
APPLICATION WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR. DO I
NEED TO FILL OUT A NEW ONE? Yes. Your child’s application is only good for
that school year and for the first few days of this school year. You must send in a new application unless the
school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year. I GET
WIC. CAN MY CHILDREN GET FREE
MEALS? Children in households
participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced price
meals. Please send in an application. Will the
information I give be checked? Yes. We may also ask you to send written
proof of the household income you report. If I don’t qualify now, may I apply later? Yes, you may
apply at any time during the school year.
For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed
may become eligible for free and reduced price meals if the household income
drops below the income limit. 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: Carter County School System, 305 Academy Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643. 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, or receive Family Subsistence
Supplemental Allowance payments, 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. Contact the Carter County School Nutrition Department at 423-547-2917 to receive a second application. My family
needs more help. Are there other programs we might apply for? To find out
how to apply for TN SNAP or other assistance benefits, contact your local
assistance office or call 1-866-311-4287. If you have other questions or need help, call 423-547-2917. Sincerely, Lindsey Feathers
"USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."
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