en Español

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Children need healthy meals to learn. Kilgore ISD offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs $1.50 for PreK thru 12^th; lunch costs $1.75 for PreK thru 5^th and $2.00 for 6^th thru 12th. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced-price meals. Reduced price is $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch.

1. Do I need to fill out an application for each child?  No. Complete one application 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 be sure to fill out all required information. Return the completed application to: Mrs. Norma B. Zapata, Director of Food Services, 301 North Kilgore Street, Kilgore, TX 75662 or you may call 903-988-3900 for additional information.

2.  Who can get free meals? Children in households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (formerly the Food Stamp Program) or TANF can get free meals regardless of your income. Your benefit letter from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is your documentation for free meals. If you have not already received a letter from your school stating that your household is eligible for free meals, you may take your HHSC benefit letter to your child nutrition office to be certified for free meals. If a child in your household is directly certified due to receiving SNAP or TANF benefits, all children of your household are eligible for free meals. If a child in your household is not included on the Letter of Direct Certification, sent to you by the SFA, or if you have questions, call the school at 903-988-3900.

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 read the letter you got carefully and follow the instructions. Call the school at 903-988-3900 if you have questions or a member of your household is not listed on the letter.  If your household does not receive SNAP or TANF, your children may still be eligible to receive free meals if your household income is less than the amounts listed on the federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.  Please complete the application and submit it to your child nutrition office.  Head Start students and Even Start children and foster children also qualify for free meals.

4. Can homeless, runaway, foster and migrant children get free meals?  Yes. If you have not been notified of free status under these categories, please call Mrs. Windy Wilson Toon, District Homeless Liaison, 903-984-3022, Kilgore Heights Elementary School, to see if your child(ren) qualifies.

5. Who can get reduced-price meals? Your children 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 getting SNAP, TANF or other benefits (such as unemployment benefits).

9. 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: Mr. Jody Clements, Superintendent, 301 North Kilgore Street, Kilgore, Texas, 75662, 903-988-3900.

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 $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only got $900, put down that you get $1000 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 other questions or need help, call 903-988-3900 Si necesita ayuda, por favor llame al teléfono: 903-98-3900. Si vous voudriez d’aide, contactez nous au numero: 903-988-3900.

Sincerely,

Norma B. Zapata