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Free Meals Continue in 2024-25

FREE MEALS FOR ALL STUDENTS Continues For 2024-25 School Year

Good news! The Worcester Central School District will continue to provide FREE MEALS to all WCSD students. 

What does this mean?
All students enrolled at WCSD (K through grade 12) can receive one FREE breakfast and one FREE lunch every day.

How do I sign my child up for free meals?
No sign-up is required! If your child would like a free breakfast or lunch, simply have them visit the cafeteria line, and their meals will be at no cost to your household. Students are still required to put in their student at the register. 

How is this possible? 
A year ago, WCSD applied and was approved to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

“The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. CEP allows the nation’s highest-poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. Instead, schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other specific means-tested programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).”  

What is included in the free meals? 
 
Students are entitled to one free breakfast (including milk, juice, vegetable/fruit, and grains/bread) and one free lunch (including milk, vegetables, fruits, grains/bread, and meat/meat alternate). If a student would like an additional meal or portion of a meal, they will be charged the regular price.

Why am I being charged if all meals are free?
  • In order for a K-12 lunch to be free, students MUST take at least 3 of the 5 components of a reimbursable lunch (milk, vegetable, fruit, grain & meat/meat alternative). This is required by NYS. One of the three components MUST be a fruit or vegetable. If a student does not take all three components, including a fruit or vegetable, NYS requires the District to charge for the meal.
  • In order for a K-12 breakfast to be free, students MUST take at least 2 of the 3 components of a reimbursable breakfast (grain, fruit, juice, milk). This is required by NYS. If a student does not take all three components NYS requires the District to charge for the meal.
  • Students receive one free breakfast and one free lunch. If they ask for an extra meal, payment is required.
  • A la carte items and extra servings do not qualify under the free meal program. Payment is required for these items.
What is NOT included in free meals?  
A la carte choices are not included as part of the free meals. These are items like chips, pretzels, ice cream, special beverages, extra milk, second helpings of food, etc. Students can pay for these items with money on their lunch accounts or with cash.  

Do my taxes increasing now that everyone can receive free meals?
No, your school taxes are not impacted. The meals are reimbursed on both a state and federal level. The funding for free meals does not come out of your school taxes. 

Do I need to have money in child’s MySchool Bucks account? 
Students can use the money on their account to purchase a la carte items and second helpings of meals if they choose. 

Do I still need to fill out a Free and Reduced Lunch application every year? 
 YES! This form not only helps the possibility of extending free meals for all students and it also provides additional benefits for qualifying students. These include: 
  • Title I and Title II A Reading and Math Remediation programs
  • Title IV programs which provide funding for teacher professional development
  • E-Rate which provides funding for technology and library services
  • CROP (Creating Rural Opportunities Program), our after-school program, is critically important for working parents. One of the major criteria for qualification is based on the data collected from these forms.
  • Future funding opportunities pursued through grant applications.
I have questions about this - who do I contact? 
Jamei Martin, Accounts Clerk Typist [email protected] or (607) 397-8785.

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/ad-3027.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; or
fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email: [email protected]

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