Noble Local School District today
announced its 2022-2023 program year policy Free and Reduced Meal for students
unable to pay the full price of meals or milk served under the National School
Lunch and School Breakfast, After School Care Snack or Special Milk Programs. Each school office and the central office has
a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party.
The Federal
Income Eligibility Guidelines will be used to determine eligibility. Children
from families whose annual income is at or below the federal guidelines are
eligible for free and reduced-price meals or free milk if the school
participates in the Special Milk Program.
Application
forms are distributed to all homes in a letter to parents or guardians. To
apply for free and reduced-price benefits, households should complete an
application and return it to the school. Additional copies are available at the
principal’s office in each school. A complete application is required.
Households which currently receive Special Nutrition Assistance Program
Benefits (SNAP, formally known as food stamps) or Ohio Works First (OWF) funds
for a child must provide the child’s name, the SNAP or OWF case number and
signature of an adult household member on the application. Households that do
not receive SNAP or OWF funds must provide the names of all household members,
the last four digits of the Social Security Number of the adult signing the
application or state “none” if the adult does not have a Social Security Number,
the amount and source of income received by each household member (state the
monthly income) and the signature of an adult household member. If any of this information is missing, the
school cannot process the application.
FREE HEALTH CARE: Families with children eligible for school meals may be eligible for free
health care coverage through Medicaid and/or Ohio’s Healthy Start & Healthy
Families programs. These programs include coverage for doctor visits,
immunizations, physicals, prescriptions, dental, vision, mental health,
substance abuse and more. Please call 1-800-324-8680 for more information or to
request an application. Information can also be found on the web at http://jfs.ohio.gov/ohp/consumers/familychild.stm.
Anyone who has an Ohio Medicaid card is already receiving these services.
The
information provided on the application is confidential and will only be used
for the purpose to determine eligibility and may be verified at any time during
the school year by school or other program official. To discourage the
possibility of misrepresentation, the application forms contain a statement
above the space for signature certifying that all information furnished is true
and correct. Applications are being made in connection with the receipt of
federal funds. Schools or other
officials may check the information on the application at any time during the
school year. Deliberate misrepresentation of information may subject the
applicant to prosecution under applicable state and federal laws.
Households
will be notified of the approval or denial of benefits.
Foster
children are categorically eligible for free meal benefits regardless of the
household’s income. If a family has foster children living with them and wishes
to apply for such meals or milk for them, contact the school for more
information.
Under
the provision of the policy, Lorraine Holiday, Director of Food & Nutrition
will review applications and determine eligibility. If a parent or guardian disagrees
with the decision on the application or the result of verification, the
decision may be discussed with the determining official on an informal basis.
If a formal appeal is desired, the household has the right to a fair hearing. A
fair hearing can be requested either orally or in writing from:
Todd Herman, NLSD Superintendent
20977 Zep Road East
Sarahsville, Ohio 43779
The
policy contains an outline of the hearing procedure.
Households
may apply for benefits any time during the school year. If a household is not currently eligible and
if the household size increases or income decreases because of unemployment or
other reasons, the family should contact the school to file a new
application. Such changes may make the
children of the family eligible for free or reduced-price benefits if the
family income falls at or below the levels shown above.
Nondiscrimination
Statement
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/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.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:
- mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
- fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
- email:
[email protected]
This
institution is an equal opportunity provider.