Dear Parent/Guardian:
Children need healthy meals to learn. Capac Community Schools offers healthy
meals every school day. Breakfast costs 0.00 (Elem)/1.60(HS); lunch costs 2.85(Elem)/3.10(HS).
Your children may qualify for free
meals or for reduced-price meals. Reduced-price is .40
(HS) for breakfast and .40 (both Elem and HS) 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.
1. WHO CAN GET
FREE OR REDUCED-PRICE MEALS?
·
All children in households receiving benefits
from the Food
Assistance Program (FAP), Family Independence Program (FIP), or Food Distribution
Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
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 of 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
INCOME ELIGIBILITY CHART for School Year 2022-2023
Household Size
|
Annually
|
Monthly
|
Weekly
|
1
|
25,142
|
2,096
|
484
|
2
|
33,874
|
2,823
|
652
|
3
|
42,606
|
3,551
|
820
|
4
|
51,338
|
4,279
|
988
|
5
|
60,070
|
5,006
|
1,156
|
6
|
68,802
|
5,734
|
1,324
|
7
|
77,534
|
6,462
|
1,492
|
8
|
86,266
|
7,189
|
1,659
|
Each additional person:
|
8,732
|
728
|
168
|
2.
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 or e-mail Britt Urh Moore, McKinney-Vento Liaison, 810-395-3705
or [email protected]
3. 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: Capac Community Schools, PO Box 610, Capac, MI. 48014
4. 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 received carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in
your household were missing from your eligibility notification, contact Lori Penzien, 810-395-3703, lpen[email protected] immediately.
5. CAN
I APPLY ONLINE?
Yes! You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper
application if you are able. The online application has the same requirements
and will ask you for the same information as the paper application. Visit www.lunchapp.com to begin or to learn
more about the online application process. Contact Cindi
Kelly, 810-395-3855, [email protected] if you have any questions about
the online application.
6.
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,
through September 21, 2022. You must send in a new application unless the
school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year. If you do
not send in a new application that is approved by the school or you have not
been notified that your child is eligible for free meals, your child will be
charged the full price for meals.
7.
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.
8.
WILL THE INFORMATION
I GIVE BE CHECKED? Yes. We may also ask
you to send written proof of the household income you report.
9. 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.
10. 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: Jeff Terpenning, Superintendent, 541 N. Glassford St.,
PO Box 610, Capac, MI. 48014, [email protected],
810-395-3710.
11. MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOULD 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.
12. 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 occasionally. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages
reduced, use your current income.
13. 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.
14.
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, 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.
15.
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 Cindi Kelly, Food
Services Director, 541 N. Glassford St., PO Box 610, Capac, MI. 48014,
810-395-3855, [email protected] to
receive a second application.
16. MY FAMILY NEEDS MORE HELP. ARE THERE OTHER PROGRAMS WE
MIGHT APPLY FOR? To find out how to apply for Food Assistance
Program (FAP) or other
assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office https://newmibridges.michigan.gov/s/isd-partnershiplanding?language=en_US.
If you have other questions or need help, call Cindi Kelly, Food
Services Director, 810-395-3855
Sincerely,
Jeff Terpenning
Superintendent
Capac Community Schools