GFPS Families,

Children need healthy meals to learn. Grand Forks Public Schools offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast is $1.20 (kindergarten-5th grade) or $1.45 (6th-12th grade). Lunch is $2.20 (kindergarten-5th grade) or $2.45 (6th-12th grade). Other programs, such as Title I, rely on area income eligibility. If your household income is below the numbers on the chart below, please complete the income application and return it to school.

• Do I need to fill out an application for each child? No. Complete the application to apply for free or reduced-price meals. Use one Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application for all child(ren) in your household. We can only approve a complete application, so be sure to fill out all the required information and sign it. Return the completed application to any school office, the Child Nutrition Office (2115 6th Ave. N, Grand Forks, ND 58203), or online at https://www.myschoolapps.com.
• Who can get free meals?
  • All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or the Temporary Assistance Program for Needy Families (TANF) can get free meals regardless of income. Also, your child(ren) can get free or reduced-price meals if your household income is within the limits on the Federal Income Chart.
  • Foster children under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals.
  • Child(ren) who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals. To determine if your child is eligible, please call the Child Nutrition Office at 701-746-2436.
  • Child(ren) may receive free- or reduced-price meals if your household's income is within the limits of the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. Your child(ren) may qualify for free- or reduced-price meals if your household falls at or below the limits on the chart below.

Federal Income Chart for School Year 2023-2024

• Child(ren) attending schools in North Dakota may receive free meals if your household income is within the limits of the new State Free Expanded Income Guidelines (State Free 200). Your child(ren) may qualify for no-cost meals if your household income falls at or below the limits on the chart below.

State of North Dakota Income Chart for School Year 2023-2024

• Should I fill out an application if I received a letter this school year saying my children are approved for free meals? Please read the letter you got carefully and follow the instructions.
• My child’s application was approved last year. Do I need to fill out another one? Yes. Your child’s application is only good for that school year. You must send in a new application unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year.
• 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.
• Will the information I give be checked? Yes, we may also ask you to send written proof of income.
• 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 FDPIR. If you lose your job, your children may be able to get free or reduced-price meals during the time you are unemployed.
• What if I disagree with the school’s decision about my application? You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to Brandon Baumbach, Business Office, PO Box 6000, Grand Forks, ND 58206-6000, or call 701-746-2200.
• 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 U.S. citizens to qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
• Whom should I include as members of my household? You must include all people living in your household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relatives, or friends). You must include yourself and all children living with you.
• What if my income is not always the same? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1,000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only made $900, put down that you made $1,000/month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes.
• We are in the military. Do we include our housing allowance as income? If you receive an off-base housing allowance, it must be included as income.
• My spouse is deployed to a combat zone. Is their combat pay counted as income? No, if the combat pay is received in addition to basic pay because of their deployment and it wasn’t received before deployment, combat pay is not counted as income. Contact your school for more information.

 If you have other questions or need help, call Lois Sott at 701-746-2436.

 Sincerely,

 Wendy Mankie, RD, LRD

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, etc.), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET center at 92020 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-o-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, or at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter 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
2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.