Free/Reduced Lunch
An application for free or reduced priced meals will come home with your child during the beginning of the school year. Applications are available throughout the year at each school site. To get free or reduced price meals for your child, carefully complete the application and return it to school. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. However, if you have been notified by mail this school year that your children automatically qualify for free meals, please do not fill out a new application. If a child's name was missing from that notification you will need to fill out an application for that child and list your SNAP case number and sign it.
What Must Be On The Application:
The following must be on the application.
For a family getting SNAP Benefits:
1) Child's (children's) name; please use one application per family.
3) SNAP case number (No quest card numbers accepted), and the name of the person who receives the benefits.
8) Permission to share your information with SCHIP or Medicaid.
10) Adult household member's signature.
For a family with a foster child:
(A foster child may receive free or reduced meals regardless of your income).
1) Check the Foster Child box, and list Child's name.
2) Child's personal use income and mark the frequency of the income. If the Foster Child is the only one listed on the application or all other children listed also have foster status, then the income and frequency are not required.
10) Adult signature.
5-7) If you have included other children on the application with the foster child you will need to include: all household members and their income and mark frequency of the income or check the no income box, the total household members, and the last 4 digit's of SS#.
For households NOT getting SNAP Benefits:
1) Child's (children's) name; please use one application per family. Mark income and frequency of income. IF NO INCOME MARK THE BOX NO INCOME.
2) Names of all other household members.
3) Income by source for all household members and mark frequency of income.
4) Last four digits of the Social Security Number of the household member who signs the application. If you DO NOT have a Social Security number, put an "X" in the designated box.
5) Adult household member's signature.
Household Members:
You must include all people living in your household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relatives, or friends), and their income and frequency of the income. You must include yourself and all children who live with you.
Deployed service members should be considered a household member and only that portion of the deployed service member's income made available by them or on their behalf to the household will be counted as income to the household.
Military Housing Allowance:
If your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. All other housing allowances must be included in your gross income.
Re-application:
Once approved for free or reduced price benefits, a household will remain eligible for those benefits for the duration of the school year. The household is no longer required to report changes in circumstances, such as an increase in income of $50 ($600 annually), a decrease in household size or when the household is no longer certified eligible for SNAP. If you start getting SNAP benefits you may re-apply for meal benefits. If you lose your job, your children may be able to get free or reduced price meals during the time you are unemployed. Your child may be temporarily approved for meal benefits for 45 days.
Each application is only good for the current school year.
Verification:
We may ask you to send written proof of the information you give.
Fair Hearing:
If you disagree with the decision on your application, you may talk to Colleen Lewis at 579-2300. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to: Tammy Brunnar, 1060 Harrison Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, phone 579-2044.
Confidentiality:
The information on the free and reduced price application will be used by school officials to decide if your children should receive free and reduced price meals. The information cannot be released to any other program unless a signed Information Release form is on file.