Free and Reduced Lunches

What You Need to Know About Free and Reduced Price Meals

• The National School Lunch Program, as administered by Douglas County Schools Nutrition Service department, provides free and reduced price meals for students who fall within the eligibility guidelines.
  
  
• The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires the use of one application per family. To apply for free or reduced price meals, an application must be filled out and returned to the school or the district Nutrition Service office. If you have children in more than one school, complete and submit only one application.
  
  
• Free and Reduced Price lunch applications are available at all schools in the main office. Applications can no longer be printed from the website. Only original applications will be accepted for processing.
  
  
• Eligibility is based on total gross household income. All income of household is considered when determining eligibility, including child support, alimony, social security benefits, workers compensation and net rental income. Any child eligible for free or reduced price lunch is also eligible for free breakfast in schools where breakfast is available. Reduced price lunch is $0.40.
  
  
• Eligibility for self employed businessmen or self employed farmers is based on the net income.
  
  
• All foster children must have an application. Each foster child must have their own individual application. A foster child is a child living with a household but remains the legal responsibility of the welfare agency or court, and is considered a household of one. The amount the foster parent receives for the child’s personal use is considered when determining eligibility (not the foster parent’s income). There is no blanket determination of eligibility for free or reduced price meals.
  
  
• Everyone living in the household must be listed along with total gross income received. Separate economic units in the same house are characterized by prorating expenses and economic independence from one another.
  
  
• If you are not eligible for benefits but have a change in your household income due to reasons such as unemployment or if there is a change in your family size, please contact the Nutrition Service department and provide documentation of changes. This change may make your children eligible for free or reduced price meals.
  
  
• Important: A new application must be filled out at the beginning of each school year in order for meal benefits to continue.