Annual meal application drive begins

Every year the effort to get all SFUSD families to complete the meal application kicks into overdrive. The application is used to enroll qualifying students in the federal free and reduced lunch program. The goal is to enroll every qualifying student by getting every family to complete the form regardless of need. DCYF is training volunteers to conduct outreach at school sites to help with this effort. The first training date is on September 12th with outreach work happening many schools sites on the 19th. See the SF Schools calendar for details.

Here is the copy of a flier about the campaign:

We Need Every Family to Fill out a Meal Application By October 9th!

Why is this so important?

We Get More Money for More Eligible Forms! Our school’s federal (Title 1), local (Weighted Student Formula), and private grant funding is based on the total number of eligible Meal Application Forms collected.

Better Quality Meals! The more eligible forms collected, the more money Student Nutrition Services (SNS) receives to spend for better food.

What if I know I do not qualify for free or reduced price meals? You can still help our school by filling in your child’s First and Last Name, School, and writing, "Not Interested", anywhere on the Meal Application.

What if my child doesn’t want school breakfast or lunch? If there is a chance that you qualify for free or reduced price meals, please fill out the form, including income level, to help our school receive more funding.

But I filled out a form last year! Federal Law requires schools to recertify all students for the School Meals Program each year. Even if you qualified last year, SNS will only receive reimbursements for your child if you fill out a new application this year. Our school’s funding is also determined each year based on current forms.

What if we are not citizens or legal U.S. residents? Free and reduced price meals are available for all children regardless of their citizenship status. All information on the Meal Application Form is confidential - it is not shared with INS / ICE or any outside agency. If you do not have a social security number, simply write "none" in that space.

Do I have to fill out an application if we already qualify for food stamps or other public assistance? Yes! Although your child is automatically eligible for the School Meals Program, we still need you to fill in your child's FIRST and LAST NAME, SCHOOL, and CalWORKS CASE NUMBER under Student/Child Information in Section III.

What if I don’t want others to know my child receives a free lunch? We are requesting applications from ALL students, qualifying or not, so returning the application won’t identify your child as receiving a free lunch. Neither our school nor the School District singles out or publicly identifies children who qualify for School Meal Programs.

Questions? Call Student Nutrition Services at 749-3604