Georgia announces 2017-18 Free and Reduced-Price Meal Income
Guidelines
MEDIA CONTACT: Meghan Frick, GaDOE Communications Office,
mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us, 404-463-4246
-Follow GaDOE on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at
@GeorgiaDeptofEd.
The Georgia Department of Education announces its policy for
free and reduced-price meals for children unable to pay the full price served
in schools under the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast
Program. Local school officials have adopted the following family size and
income criteria for determining eligibility.
Meals
FOR EACH ADDITIONAL FAMILY MEMBER, ADD $5,434 PER YEAR TO
THE INCOME LEVEL FOR FREE MEALS AND $7,733 TO THE INCOME LEVEL FOR REDUCED
PRICE MEALS.
The reduced price breakfast costs no more than 30 cents and
the reduced price lunch costs no more than 40 cents.
Application forms are being sent to all homes with a letter
to parents or guardians. To apply for free or reduced-price meals, households
should fill out the application and return it to the school. Children from
families whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free or
reduced-price meals. Foster children may also be eligible for these meals.
Families with foster children should contact the school for information
regarding benefits. Additional forms are available at the principal's office in
each school. The information provided on the application will be used for the
purpose of determining eligibility and may be verified at any time with each school
district required to verify a sample annually. Applications may be submitted at
any time during the year.
For school officials to determine eligibility, households
receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) must list the child's name, their SNAP or
TANF case number and the signature of an adult household member. Households not
receiving SNAP or TANF must list: child's name, names of all household members,
the last four digits of the social security number of a parent or guardian (or
an indication that neither possesses a social security number), the amount of
income received by each household member, identified by source and frequency,
and the signature of an adult household member certifying that the information
provided is correct. The information provided by the household is confidential
and will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility and verifying data.
We may inform officials connected with other child nutrition, health, and
education programs of the information on your form to determine benefits for
those programs or for funding and/or evaluation purposes.
If a household member becomes unemployed, or if the
household size increases, the household should contact the school. Such changes
may make the children of the household eligible for benefits if the household's
income falls at or below the levels shown above.
Under the provisions of this policy, a school official will
review applications and determine eligibility. If a parent is dissatisfied with
the determination, he/she may contact the school either orally or in writing.
The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act requires
the information on this application. You do not have to give the information,
but if you do not, we cannot approve your child for free or reduced-price
meals. You must include the last four digits of the social security number of
an adult household member. The last four digits of the social security number
is not required when you apply on behalf of a foster child or you list a
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) Program or when you indicate that the adult household
member signing the application does not have a social security number. We will
use your information to determine if your child is eligible for free or reduced
price meals, and for administration and enforcement of the lunch and breakfast
programs. We MAY share your eligibility information with education, health, and
nutrition programs to help them evaluate, fund, or determine benefits for their
programs, auditors for program reviews, and law enforcement officials to help
them look into violations of program rules.
Non-Discrimination Statement: This explains what to do if you
believe you have been treated unfairly.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the
USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in
or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on
race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation
for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded
by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of
communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape,
American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where
they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have
speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800)
877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages
other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the
USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online:
http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or
write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the
information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form,
call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
