Richland Two Announces Free & Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility
Richland School District Two announced its policy for providing free and reduced-price meals to children served in schools under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
Local school officials have adopted the following household size and income criteria for determining eligibility:
Children from families whose household income is at or below the levels shown in the chart may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
To determine eligibility, households must provide the following information on the meal application:
- SNAP or TANF households: A SNAP or TANF case number certifying that the household is currently eligible for either assistance program, along with the signature of an adult household member; or
- Other households: The names of all household members; the name and last four digits of the Social Security number of the adult household member signing the application; current income by source for each household member; and the signature of an adult household member certifying that the information provided is correct.
Foster Children
Foster children may also be eligible for free or reduced-price meals regardless of household income.
If a household has foster children living with them and the household has not previously been notified by the school district that the foster children have been directly certified for free meals, the household should include the foster children—and any personal income earned by the foster children—on the household application along with other non-foster children.
Eligibility Appeals
Under the provisions of the policy, Sarah Brown will review applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians who are dissatisfied with the decision of the reviewing official may discuss the decision with the reviewer on an informal basis.
Parents or guardians wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request, either orally or in writing, to the School Food Service Coordinator, Nicole Burns, whose address is: Richland School District Two, Attn: Food Services, 124 Risdon Way, Columbia, SC 29223. The hearing procedures are outlined in the district's meal eligibility policy.
Changes in Household Circumstances
If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size changes, the household should contact the school to submit a new meal application. These changes may make children in the household eligible for free or reduced-price meals if household income falls at or below the eligibility 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.
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
The following schools are participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2026-2027 school year:
• Bethel Hanberry Elementary
• Bookman Rd. Elementary
• Bridge Creek Elementary
• Catawba Trail Elementary
• Dent Middle
• E.L. Wright Middle/CFK
• Forest Lake Elementary
• Jackson Creek Elementary
• Joseph Keels Elementary
• Kelly Mill Middle/CFA
• Killian Elementary
• L.W. Conder Elementary
• Langford Elementary
• Longleaf Middle
• Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary
• North Springs Elementary
• Polo Rd. Elementary
• Pontiac Elementary
• Rice Creek Elementary
• Richland Northeast High
• Ridge View High
• Sandlapper Elementary
• Summit Parkway Middle/CFI
• Westwood High
• Windsor Elementary
Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russel 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. All students enrolled in the school/district may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications.
Breakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Please encourage students to participate in the school meal programs. You may contact your School Food Service (SFS) Coordinator, Nicole Burns, for additional information.
Parents or guardians that do not want their child/children to participate in CEP may wish to discuss this matter with Nicole Burns (Coordinator of Food Services) on an informal basis. Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to Nicole Burns whose address is:
Richland School District Two
Attn: Food Services
124 Risdon Way, Columbia, SC 29223
for a hearing to appeal the decision.
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights,
1400 Independence Avenue,
SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
Fax: (833)256-1665 or (202) 690-7442
Email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.