FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS

FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS

po8531Adopted March 26, 2012Revised July 10, 2025

8531 - FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS

The Board recognizes the importance of good nutrition to each student's educational performance.

The Board shall provide eligible children with breakfast and lunch at a reduced rate or at no charge to the student, as well as free milk for qualifying students.
If the District participates in the Wisconsin School Day Milk Program, qualifying students shall receive milk at no charge.

Children, eligible for free or reduced-price meals, shall be determined by the criteria established by the Child Nutrition Program. These criteria are issued annually by the Federal government through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's (DPI) administration of the School Nutrition Programs.

The Board designates the District Administrator or his/her designee to determine in accordance with Board standards, the eligibility of students for free and/or reduced-price meals.

At least once annually at the beginning of each school year, the school shall notify all families of the availability, eligibility requirements, and application procedure for free and reduced-price meals by distributing an application to the family of each student enrolled in the school. The notice shall contain all information required by State and Federal regulation. The District shall seek out and apply for such Federal, State, and local funds as may be applied to the District's program of free and reduced-price meals.

Any student identified as homeless, a foster child, a runaway, a migrant, or who is enrolled in Head Start shall be considered eligible for free meals and free milk.

Students receiving free or reduced meals or milk shall not be subjected to any of the following actions related to their receipt of meal service:

  1. the District shall not publish or otherwise publicize names of children receiving free or reduced meals or milk;
  2. the District's meal service will not use special tokens or tickets that identify students as receiving free or reduced meals or milk;
  3. no student shall be required to work or perform any service in order to receive food service;
  4. students receiving free or reduced price meal service shall not be required to use a separate line or separate eating area, nor shall they be required to receive meals at a different time based on eligibility for the free or reduce program;
  5. all students shall have the same choices for meals and milk regardless of whether the student is paying full price or receiving free or reduced meal service benefits.

The District Administrator shall regularly evaluate the free and reduced lunch program to determine whether the District or school may qualify for special assistance certification or Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to reduce the paperwork burden on families qualifying for free and reduced meals. Any schools identified as CEP eligible shall be notified.

Unless exempted by DPI, annually prior to a date established by the Department of Agriculture and/or the DPI, the Food Service Director shall notify DPI of any school in the District that has twenty-five percent (25%) free and reduced lunch eligible or that has less than twenty-five percent (25%) but more than fifteen percent (15%) identified student percentage.

Nondiscrimination Statement

The following statement applies to all programs administered by the District that are funded in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):

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:

  1. Mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400
    Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. Fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. E-mail:
    program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider.

Revised 7/17/17

Revised 11/1/17

T.C. 10/16/23

Revised 2/19/24

Revised 11/18/24

Revised 12/19/24

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