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Montgomery County Public Schools208 College Street
Christiansburg, VA 24073
2024-2025 LETTER TO HOUSEHOLDS
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Children need healthy meals to learn. Montgomery County Public Schools offers healthy meals every school day. Student breakfast costs $1.75 for all grade levels and lunch costs $3.00 for elementary students and $3.10 for middle and high school students. Your child(ren) may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. Reduced price breakfast costs $.30 and lunch costs $.40 at all grade levels. For School Year 2024-2025, the cost of reduced-price meals is being waived; therefore, students approved for reduced price meals will not have to pay. All meals served must meet standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, if a student has been determined by a doctor to be disabled and the disability prevents the student from eating the regular school meal, the school will make substitutions prescribed by the doctor. If a substitution is prescribed, there will be no extra charge for the meal. If your student needs substitutions because of a disability, please contact the School Nutrition Office at 540-382-5109.
All children in households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are eligible for free meals regardless of income; however you will need to submit an application to receive benefits unless a letter of Direct Certification of Eligibility is received prior to August 31 of the current school year. Foster children who are the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals regardless of the income of the household with whom they reside. Students who are eligible for Medicaid may also be eligible for free or reduced price meals based on the household's income. Children who are members of households participating in WIC may also be eligible for free or reduced price meals based on the household's income. If your total household income is at or below the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines, shown on the chart below, your child(ren) may get free meals OR reduced price meals. Your child(ren)'s application from last school year is only good for the first few days of this school year. You must send in a new household application for each school year.
FEDERAL INCOME GUIDELINES: Your child(ren) may be eligible for free meals OR reduced price meals if your household income is within the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines chart shown below.
Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines
For School Year 2024-2025
HouseholdSize Year Month Week
├──────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1 │ $27,861 │ $2,322 │ $536 │
│ 2 │ $37,814 │ $3,152 │ $728 │
│ 3 │ $47,767 │ $3,981 │ $919 │
│ 4 │ $57,720 │ $4,810 │ $1,110 │
│ 5 │ $67,673 │ $5,640 │ $1,302 │
│ 6 │ $77,626 │ $6,469 │ $1,493 │
│ 7 │ $87,579 │ $7,299 │ $1,685 │
│ 8 │ $97,532 │ $8,128 │ $1,876 │
├──────────────────────────────────┤
For each $9,953│ $830 │ $192
additional
family member add:
Your child(ren)'s application from last school year is only good for the first few days of this school year. You must send in a new household application for each school year.
ONE completed application per household with all students names on it.
An unsigned application is considered incomplete and will be returned to you, which will delay the process of determining if your child(ren) will be eligible for free or reduced price meal benefits.
If you need help filling out the application form, please contact the School Nutrition Programs Office, 540-382-5109.
HOW TO APPLY
Households that are receiving SNAP or TANF for their children as of July 1 may not have to fill out an application. School officials will notify you in writing of your child(ren)'s eligibility for free meal benefits. Once notified, your child(ren) will receive free meals unless you tell the school that you do not want benefits. If you are not notified by August 31 of the current school year, you must submit an application. The application must contain the names of all students in the household, the SNAP or TANF case number, and the signature of an adult household member.
If you do not receive SNAP or TANF benefits for your child(ren), complete the application and return it to the school division. If you do not list a SNAP or TANF case number for the child(ren) you are applying for, then the application must have the names of all students, the names of other household members, the amount of income each person received last month, and how often the income was received. An adult household member must sign the application and include the last four digits of the social security number. If the person does not have a social security number, check the box provided indicating none. You or your child(ren) do not have to be U.S. citizens to qualify for free or reduced price meals.
If you are applying for a foster child, who is the legal responsibility of a welfare agency or court, an application may not be required, or if you are applying for a homeless, migrant, or runaway child, an application may not be necessary. Contact Paige Walters, Foster/Homeless Liaison, at 540-382-5100 ext 1026 or more information. An application that is not complete cannot be approved.
An application that is not signed is considered incomplete and will be returned to you, which will delay the process of determining if your child(ren) will be eligible for free or reduced meal benefits. You must send in a new application each school year.
OTHER BENEFITS:Your child(ren) may be eligible for other benefits such as the Virginia children's health insurance program called Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) and/or Medicaid. The law allows the school division to share your free or reduced price meal eligibility information with Medicaid and FAMIS. These programs can only use the information to identify children who may be eligible for free or low-cost health insurance, and to enroll them in either Medicaid or FAMIS. These agencies are not allowed to use the information from your free or reduced price meal application for any other purpose. Medicaid officials or officials with FAMIS may contact you to get more information. You are not required to allow us to share this information with Medicaid or the FAMIS program. Your decision will not affect your child(ren)'s eligibility for free and reduced price meals. If you do not want your information shared, please check the appropriate box in Section 6 of the application. You may qualify for other assistance programs. To find out how to apply for SNAP or other assistance programs, contact the local social service office in your area.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: School officials use the information on the application to determine if your child is eligible to receive free or reduced price meals and to verify eligibility. As authorized by the National School Lunch Act, the school division may inform officials connected with other child nutrition, health, and education programs of the information on your application to determine benefits for those programs or for funding and/or evaluation purposes.
VERIFICATION: School officials may check your eligibility at any time during the school year. School officials may ask you to send information to prove that your child(ren) should receive free or reduced price meals.
FAIR HEARING: If you do not agree with the decision on your application or the results of verification, you may wish to discuss it with officials in the School Nutrition Office at the telephone number below. If you wish to review the final decision on your application you also have the right to a fair hearing. You can request a hearing by calling or writing the following official:
Michelle Knotts208 College Street
Christiansburg, VA 24073
(540)-382-5109
REAPPLICATION: You may reapply for free and reduced price meals any time during the school year. If you are not eligible now but have a change, such as a decrease in household income, an increase in household size, become unemployed, or begin to receive SNAP or TANF for your child(ren), fill out an application at that time.
If you need help filling out the application form, please contact the School Nutrition Office, 540-382-5109. Return the complete, signed application to your child(ren)'s school or the School Nutrition Office at the above address.
You will be notified when your child(ren)'s application is approved or denied. If you do not receive notification of an application status within 10 days of applying, please contact the School Nutrition Office at 540-382-5109. You may also apply for meal benefits online at www.mcps.org.
Sincerely,Bernard F. Bragen, Jr., Ed.D, Superintendent
Privacy Act Statement: 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.
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, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. 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 responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or 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 discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint 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. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
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