For Immediate Release Contact Cordell Jordan
August 11, 2005 405.587.0232
Schools Open for Free and Reduced Lunch Applications
Oklahoma City – The Oklahoma City School District announces today schools will be open beginning Tuesday, August 15 on Tuesdays through Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for families to apply for free and reduced price meals as offered by the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Parents with school-aged children who are eligible to receive free and reduced price meals for the 2006-2007 school year can complete the application forms at any OKCPS location.
“We want to provide several opportunities for parents to complete the applications this year,” says Steve Gallagher, Director of Child Nutrition Services. “This will allow us to eliminate the need for families who qualify for the program to have to pay full price for breakfast and lunch at the beginning of the school year.”
English and Spanish-speaking personnel will be available at each site to assist with the application process, and there will be door prizes given away at each site. Application forms may also be mailed to OKCPS Child Nutrition Services Applications Office, 2500 NE 30th Oklahoma City, OK 73111.
Information provided on the application is confidential and will only be used to determine eligibility and may be verified anytime during the school year by school or other program officials. Applications may also be submitted at any time during the school year.
For school officials to determine eligibility, households receiving food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) must list the child’s name; his/her food stamp, TANF or FDPIR case number; and the signature of an adult household member. If you do not list a food stamp, TANF or FDPIR case number for all children you are applying for, then the application must have: The children’s names, total household members, the amount of income each member received last month, the signature of an adult household member, and the adult’s social security number or the word none if the adult does not have a social security number.
In certain cases, foster children are also eligible for school meal benefits regardless of family income. If a family has a foster child living with them and wishes to apply for benefits on the child’s behalf, they should complete parts two (2) and four (4) of the application.
Under the provisions of the policy, the cafeteria manager will review applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to Steve Gallagher, Director of Child Nutrition Services, 2500 NE 30th Oklahoma City, OK 73111 (405) 587-1032, for a hearing to appeal the decision. The school district’s policy statement contains an outline of the hearing procedure.
Households listing a food stamp, TANF or FDPIR case number must report when the household no longer receives these benefits. Other households approved for benefits must report income increases of over $50 per month ($600 annually). You must also report any decreases in household size. If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size increases, you should contact the school. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for benefits.
In accordance with federal law and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
To file a discrimination complaint, write USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W Whitten Building 1400 Independence Avenue Southwest, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410. Or you may call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). You may also write to the Oklahoma State Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs, Room 310 2500 N. Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599.
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Educating Students for Life-Long Learning and Responsible Living
