Texarkana Independent School District Child Nutrition Department announced its policy today for providing free and reduced-price meals for students.
Each school or the central office for each district served under the department has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by anyone upon request.
As of Aug. 1, school districts began distributing letters in English and Spanish to households of children in the districts served by the Child Nutrition Department about eligibility and any action needed to apply for benefits. Applications are also available from the Child Nutrition Department, 1600 Waterall St., Texarkana, Texas.
The following criteria will be used to determine a child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meal benefits:
Income: Households with income at or below the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines are eligible for benefits.
For those who qualify based on income, an adult in the household must fill out an application and return it to their campus office or to Beth Carson, Director of Child Nutrition, 1600 Waterall St., Texarkana, TX 75501. Applicants will need to provide the following information:
- Name of all household members;
- Amount, frequency and source of current income for each household member;
- Last 4 digits of the Social Security number of the adult household member who signs the application or, if the adult does not have a Social Security number, check the box for "No Social Security number." A Social Security number is not required to apply for these programs;
- Signature of an adult household member attesting that the information provided is correct.
Applications may be submitted anytime during the school year. The information households provide on the application will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility. Applications may also be verified by school officials at any time during the school year.
Categorical or Automatic Eligibility: Those receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations are automatically eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Program Participants include foster children, homeless, runaways, migrants, those displaced by a declared disaster or students enrolled in Head Start or Even Start.
TISD is working with local agencies to identify all categorical- and program-eligible students and will notify their households that they do not need to complete an application.
Those who didn't receive a letter but believe they should have and anyone who wishes to decline benefits should call Beth Carson, director of Child Nutrition, at 903-792-2231, ext. 1.
Determining Eligibility: Elaine Hicks, student nutrition specialist, will review applications and determine eligibility based on the free and reduced-price meal policy. Households or guardians dissatisfied with their determination may discuss the decision with the reviewing official on an informal basis or request a formal appeal for a hearing on the decision from Jo Ann Rice, assistant superintendent of Student and Community Development, at 4241 Summerhill Road, Texarkana, Texas, or 903-794-3651, ext. 1011.
Unexpected Circumstances: If a household member becomes unemployed or the size of the household increases, the household should contact their child's school. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible based on income.
The TISD Child Nutrition Department will also continue its policy to operate the Community Eligibility Program under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for the 2017-18 school year at Paul Laurence Dunbar Early Education Center, Highland Park Elementary, Nash Elementary, Spring Lake Park Elementary, Theron Jones Early Literacy Center, Wake Village Elementary and Westlawn Elementary in TISD; Crestview Elementary and Oakview Primary schools in New Boston ISD; and, Linden Elementary in Linden-Kildare Consolidated Independent School District. CEP schools serve breakfast and lunch to all children for free and eliminate the collection of meal applications.
Schools that will begin CEP for the first time in 2017-18 are: Texas Middle School in TISD; New Boston Middle School in New Boston ISD; Mae Luster Stephens Junior High School and Linden-Kildare High School in Linden-Kildare CISD; DeKalb Elementary, DeKalb Middle School and DeKalb High School in DeKalb ISD; and, Bloomburg Elementary, Bloomburg High School in Bloomburg ISD.
For more information, contact Carson at 1600 Waterall St., Texarkana, Texas; 903-792-2231, ext. 1; or [email protected].