16 Jul 2009
Students May Qualify for Free and Reduced Meal Benefits
DALLAS—Students attending the Dallas Independent School District for the 2009-2010 school year may apply for free and reduced-price meal benefits. Meal application forms will be distributed to all children on the first day of school, Monday, August 24, along with a letter of explanation to households.
Only one multi-child application is required for all children in the household, regardless if children attend different schools. For example, three children may reside in one household but attend different schools. Only one application is needed for all three children, and it may be submitted to the cafeteria at any one of the three schools.
Families will be notified of the eligibility of their children once a meal application has been submitted. In some cases, households will receive letters stating their child(ren) is/are predetermined as eligible for free meals based on "direct certification" from the state or a family identified by migrant status from the local migrant office.
SNAP/TANF Recipients
Households receiving SNAP (formerly food stamps) or TANF only have to list their child's name and SNAP or TANF case number. An adult household member must sign the application.
Requirement When Reporting Income
Households that do not list a SNAP or TANF case number must list the names of all household
members including the amount and frequency of income for each person. If a person listed does not earn income, this must be indicated by selecting the "no income" box. An adult household member must sign the application and list their social security number. If the signer does not have a social security number, the box indicating no social security number must be checked.
Foster Children
Foster children who are the legal responsibility of a welfare agency or court may also be eligible for benefits regardless of the income of the household with whom they reside. Eligibility for the foster child is based on the child's income and must be listed on a separate application. An adult household member must sign the application.
Prices for Student Meals Remain the Same
Prices for breakfast and lunch remain the same as the previous school year. Students in grades prekindergarten through 12 may buy breakfast for $1 and lunch for $1.50. Household size and income criteria will be used to determine eligibility for free and reduced-price benefits. Those students who qualify for reduced-price meals will pay only 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch. Breakfast choices consist of milk, fruit or juice, and one main item. Lunch choices consist of an entrée, three side dishes and milk. A variety of choices will be available daily.
"MealPayPlus" Makes Prepayment Easy
All Dallas ISD school cafeterias have an automated point of sale system. This allows parents and students to prepay or place money on the student's meal account. Dallas ISD will be using "MealPayPlus" as the automated prepayment system. In order to view your child's school account balance or to add money using a Visa or Mastercard, simply log on to www.mealpayplus.com or call toll-free 866-884-4242 to make a payment. For more information, look for the informational flyer attached to the meal application. Money placed on a student's account will follow the student's permanent student identification number. Therefore, if a student changes schools within the district, the money follows the student.
Meal Eligibility Determination
Under the provisions of the free and reduced-price meal policy, each household's meal application will be reviewed for determination of meal eligibility. Parents or guardians dissatisfied with the ruling of the official may wish to discuss the decision with the reviewing official on an informal basis. Parents wishing to make a formal appeal for a hearing on the decision may make a request either orally or in writing to Dora Rivas, Executive Director, 1515 Grand Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75215. For more information, call Food and Child Nutrition Services at (214) 932-5500.
The third belief adopted by the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees is: "We believe that educational equity and excellence will eliminate the achievement gap."
For a complete list of core beliefs, visit the Web site at http://www.dallasisd.org/about/vision.htm