Home News Three schools offering free meals to all students

Three schools offering free meals to all students

Richland School District Two elementary schools L.W. Conder Arts Integrated Magnet, Joseph Keels and Windsor are participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2017-2018 school year. All students enrolled in these schools may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications. This the first year the schools have participated in CEP.

Parents of students who do not attend L.W. Conder Arts Integrated Magnet, Joseph Keels Elementary and Windsor but believe they qualify for free/reduced meals must fill out an application each year. Students who received free/reduced price meals during the 2016-2017 school year will begin paying full price if an application for the current school year is not submitted by Oct. 3, 2017. Applications may be completed online or on paper. Both can be found on this website.

CEP falls under Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1))(the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision.

The following table shows the household size and income criteria for determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals.

Children from families whose income is at or below the levels shown may be eligible for free or reduced price meals. To determine eligibility for free/reduced meal status the household must provide the following information on the application: (1) A SNAP or TANF case number certifying the household is currently eligible for either of these assistance programs and an adult household member signature or (2) names of all household members, the name and last four digits of the social security number of the adult household member signing the application form, current income by source of each household member and a signature of an adult household member certifying the information provided is correct.

Foster children may also be eligible for these benefits regardless of household income. If a household has foster children living with them and the household has not been previously notified by the School District that their foster children have been directly certified for free meals, the household may either include or count the foster children (including personal income earned by the foster children) on the household application form with other non-foster children or complete a separate form with the names of the foster children.

Under the provisions of policy, Nicole Holley (Reviewing Official) will review applications and determine eligibility. She may be contact at 803.419.2316.Parents or guardians dissatisfied with the ruling of the reviewing official may wish to discuss the ruling with the reviewer on an informal basis. Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to Jack Carter, Chief Operations Officer, whose address is: 124 Risdon Way Columbia, SC 29223, for a hearing to appeal the decision. The hearing procedures are outlined in the policy.

If a household member becomes unemployed or the household size changes, the household should contact the school to file a meal application. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for free or reduced priced meals if the household income falls at or below the levels shown above. A complete copy of the policy is on file at each school and in the office of the District Superintendent where any interested party may review it.

10/2/2017