Central Office
Janie Nusser, Superintendent of Schools Stuart P.G. Mattey, School Business Administrator
E-Mail: jnusser@southseneca.k12.ny.us E-Mail: smattey@southseneca.k12.ny.us
District Office: 607-869-9636 Fax: 607-869-2529
Letter to Parents for School Meal Programs
Dear
Parent/Guardian:
Children need healthy meals
to learn.
Lunch costs $1.75
K-5, $ 2.00 6-12. Children from households that
meet federal income guidelines (outlined below) are eligible for free meals or
reduced price meals. Reduced price meals cost each eligible student $.25 for lunch and $.25
for breakfast. To apply for free or reduced price meals,
submit a Direct Certification letter from the NYS Office of Temporary and
Disability Assistance OR complete the enclosed application, sign it, and
return it to the Food Service Office as soon as possible. Please refer to the guidelines contained in
this letter when completing the application.
We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to
fill out all required information.
1.
Do I need to fill out an
application for each child? No. Complete the application to apply for free or
reduced price meals. Do not fill out
more than one application for your household.
2.
Who can get free meals? Children in households getting Food Stamps or
TANF and most foster children can get free meals regardless of your
income. Also your children can get free
price meals if your household income is within the free limits on the Federal
Income Guidelines. Each foster child
must be listed on a separate application, with Part 2 completed and include an
adult signature.
3.
Can homeless, runaway and
migrant children get free meals? Please call
Ms. Mr. Kevin Webster, (607) 869-9636 Ext 2127, to see if your child(ren)
qualify, if you have not been informed that they will get free meals.
4.
Who can get reduced price
meals? Your children can get low cost meals if your
household income is within the reduced price limits on the Federal Income
Chart, shown on this application.
5.
Should I fill out an
application if I received a letter this school year saying my children are
approved for free or reduced price meals? Please
read the letter you received carefully and follow the instructions. Call the school at (607) 869-9636, Ext. 1306, if you have questions.
6.
I get WIC, can my child(ren)
get free meals? Children in households participating in WIC
may be eligible for free or reduced price meals. Please fill out an application.
7.
Will the information I give
be checked? The school may ask you at any time during the
school year to verify your eligibility.
You will be notified, in writing, if you have been selected for
Verification. School officials may ask
you to send papers showing that your child should receive free or reduce price
meals at the time you applied.
8.
If I dont qualify now, may I
apply later? Yes.
You may apply at any time during the school year if your household size
goes up, income goes down, or if you start getting Food Stamps, TANF or other
benefits. If you lose your job, your
children may be able to get free or reduced price meals.
9.
What if I disagree with the
schools decision about my application? You should
talk to school officials. You also may
ask for a hearing by calling or writing to:
Ms. Janie Nusser, Superintendent,
10. May I apply if someone in my household is not a
11. Who should I include as members of my household? You must include all people living in your
household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relatives, or
friends). You must include yourself and
all children who live with you.
12. What if my income is not always the same? List the amount that you normally get. For example, if you normally get $1000 per
month, but you missed some work last month and only got $900, put down that you
get $1000 per month. If you normally get
overtime, include it, but not if you get it only sometimes.
Income Chart: The following chart lists income levels
according to household size and income levels received either yearly, monthly
or weekly. If your total household
income is the same or less than the amounts on the Income Chart below, your
children can get reduced price meals, and may be eligible to receive free
meals.
Effective from July 1, 2008
to June 30, 2009
Twice
Per
Household
Size Annual Month Month Bi-Weekly Weekly
1
. $19,240 1,604 802 740 370
2
. 25,900 2,159 1,080 997 499
3
. 32,560 2,714 1,357 1,253 627
4
.
39,220 3,269 1,635 1,509 755
5
.
45,880 3,824 1,912 1,765 883
6
.
52,540 4,379 2,190 2,021 1,011
7
.
59,200 4,934 2,467 2,277 1,139
8
.
65,860 5,489 2,745 2,534 1,267 For each additional family
member
add
+ 6,660 +555 + 278 +257 +129
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Mark Sinkiewicz, President,
Mike Diperna Vice President; Betsy Dreyer, Brenda Eastman, Carl Pell, David
Terry Jr., Anne Stengle
How to Apply: To get free or reduced price meals for your
children you may submit a Direct Certification letter
received from the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, OR
carefully complete one application for your household and return it to the designated office. If you now receive food stamps, Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) for any children, or participate in the
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the application must
include the childrens names, the household food stamp, TANF or FDPIR number
and the signature of an adult household member.
All children with the same case number may be listed on the same application. Separate applications are required for
children with different case numbers. If
you do not list a food stamp /TANF or FDPIR number for all the children for
whom you are applying, the application must include the names of everyone in
the household, the amount of income of each household member, and how often it
is received and where it comes from. It
must include the signature of an adult household member and that adults social
security number, or the word none if the adult does not have a social
security number. An application that is
not complete cannot be approved. Contact
your local Department of Social Services for your food stamp or TANF number or
complete the income portion of the application.
Reporting Changes: The benefits that you are approved for at the
time of application are effective for the entire school year. You no longer need to report
changes for an increase in income or decrease in household size, or if you no
longer receive food stamps.
Income Exclusions: The value of any child care provided or
arranged, or any amount received as payment for such child care or
reimbursement for costs incurred for such care under the Child Care Development
(Block Grant) Fund should not be considered as income for this program.
Nondiscrimination Statement: This explains what to do if you believe you
have been treated unfairly. In
accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this
institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, age, or disability.
To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director,
Office of Civil Rights,
Meal
Service to Children With Disabilities:
Federal regulations require schools and institutions to serve meals at
no extra charge to children with a disability which may restrict their
diet. A student with a disability is
defined in 7CFR Part 15b.3 of Federal regulations, as one who has a physical or
mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Major life activities are defined to include functions such as caring for ones
self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing,
learning, and working. You must request
the special meals from the school and provide the school with medical
certification from a medical doctor. If
you believe your child needs substitutions because of a disability, please get
in touch with us for further information, as there is specific information that
the medical certification must contain.
Confidentially: The United States Department of Agriculture
has approved the release of students names and eligibility status, without
parent/guardian consent, to persons directly connected with the administration
or enforcement of federal education programs such as Title I and the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which are United States Department
of Education programs used to determine areas such as the allocation of funds
to schools, to evaluate socioeconomic status of the schools attendance area,
and to assess educational progress.
Information may also be released to State health or State education
programs administered by the State agency or local education agency, provided
the State or local education agency administers the program, and federal State
or local nutrition programs similar to the National School Lunch Program. Additionally, all information
contained in the free and reduced price application may be released to persons
directly connected with the administration or enforcement of programs
authorized under the National School Lunch Act (NSLA) or Child Nutrition Act
(CNA); including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, the
Special Milk Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food
Service Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women
Infants and Children (WIC); the Comptroller General of the United States for
audit purposes, and federal, State or local law enforcement officials
investigating alleged violation of the programs under the NSLA or CNA.
The disclosure of eligibility
information not specifically authorized by the NSLA requires a written consent
statement from the parent/guardian.
We will let you know when
your application is approved or denied.
Sincerely,
Deborah Bush
Food Service
Specialist