Children need healthy meals to learn. Carthage R-9 School District offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs $1.35 in Elementary Schools; $1.45 in Secondary Schools. Lunch costs $2.65 in Elementary Schools; $2.75 in Secondary Schools. The reduced price is $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch. Your child(ren) may qualify for free or reduced-price meals if your household income falls within the limits on the Federal Income Chart.

1. Do I need to fill out an application for each child? No. Complete the application online to apply for free or reduced-price meals. Use one Free and Reduced-Price School Meals Application for all students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so please be sure to fill out all required information. If completing a paper application, return application to: Food Service, 710 Lyon Street, Carthage MO 64836.

2. Who can get free meals? Children in households getting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (formerly the Food Stamp Program) or TANF can get free meals regardless of your income. Your child(ren) can get free meals if your household income is within the free limits on the Federal Income Guidelines and you must complete this application and submit to your Child Nutrition Department. Head Start students and most foster children also qualify for free meals.

3. Should I fill out an application if I got a letter this school year saying my children are approved for free or reduced-price meals? In most cases no, however, please read the letter you received carefully and follow all instructions. Call the Food Service Department at (417) 359-7021 if you have any questions.

4. Can homeless, runaway and migrant children get free meals? Yes. If you have not been notified of free status under these categories, please call the Kim Hoover, Homeless Liaison at (417) 758-0805 to see if your child(ren) qualifies.

5. Who can get reduced price meals? Your child(ren) can get low cost meals if your household income is within the reduced-price limits on the Federal Income Chart.

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? Yes, we may ask you to send written proof.

8. If I don’t 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 receiving SNAP, TANF or other benefits. If you lose your job your children may be able to get free or reduced-priced meals.

9. What if I disagree with the school’s decision about my application? You should talk to school official. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to Holly Goodnight, 709 W. Centennial Ave, Carthage, MO 64836, (417) 359-7000.

10. May I apply if someone in my household is not a U.S. citizen? Yes. You or your child(ren) do not have to be a U.S. citizen to qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

11. Who should I include as members of my household? You must include yourself and all people living in your household, related or not (such as children, grandparents, other relatives or friends).

12. What if my income is not always the same? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally get $1,000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only got $900, put down that you get $1,000 per month. If you normally get overtime pay, include that amount as income. If you do not normally get overtime pay, do not include it as income.

13. We are in the military; do we include our housing allowance as income? If your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. All other allowances must be included in your gross income.

If you have any questions or need help, please contact Caylon Freeman or Janeane Myhre at (417) 359-7021.

Sincerely, Food Service Department

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 AD3027 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. email: Program.Intake@usda.gov