Free or Reduced Price Meal Application
Children need healthy meals to learn. Ames Community School District offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs $1.50 at elementary schools, $1.55 at AMS & AHS; lunch costs $2.75 at elementary schools, $2.95 at AMS & AHS. Your children may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The reduced price is $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch. However, the Ames CSD is offering free breakfast to all students until December 31, 2024 at which time the funds will be re-evaluated and remain free or revert to regular pricing. Applications for free or reduced price meals may be completed through your Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
Below are some common questions and answers to help you with the application process.
- WHO CAN GET FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS?
● All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Family Investment Program (FIP) or a few specific Medicaid programs are eligible for free or reduced price meals.
● Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals.
● Children participating in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
● Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals.
● Children may receive free or reduced price meals if your household’s income is at or below the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines below and submit an application for free and reduced price meals/milk.
FEDERAL INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES for SCHOOL YEAR 2024-2025
Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines for School Year 2024-2025
| Household Size | Yearly | Monthly | Twice per Month | Every Two Weeks | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27,861 | 2,322 | 1,161 | 1,072 | 536 |
| 2 | 37,814 | 3,152 | 1,576 | 1,455 | 728 |
| 3 | 47,767 | 3,981 | 1,991 | 1,838 | 919 |
| 4 | 57,720 | 4,810 | 2,405 | 2,220 | 1,110 |
| 5 | 67,673 | 5,640 | 2,820 | 2,603 | 1,302 |
| 6 | 77,626 | 6,469 | 3,235 | 2,986 | 1,493 |
| 7 | 87,579 | 7,299 | 3,650 | 3,369 | 1,685 |
| 8 | 97,532 | 8,128 | 4,064 | 3,752 | 1,876 |
| Each additional family member: | 9,953 | 830 | 415 | 383 | 192 |
- SHOULD I FILL OUT AN APPLICATION IF I RECEIVED A LETTER THIS SCHOOL YEAR SAYING MY CHILDREN ARE ALREADY APPROVED FOR FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS? No, but please read the letter carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in your household were missing from your notification, contact: Deb Milliken at deb.milliken@ames.k12.ia.us or 515-268-6646 immediately as eligibility for free or reduced price meals is extended to all school age children in a household. If you did not receive a letter from the school, but received a Free Lunch Notice from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS), submit this letter to your children’s school. You may add any students living in your household who are not listed on the letter. Also, if someone in your household receives SNAP or FIP benefits and you did not receive either of these letters, you may complete an application listing the case number as this will qualify all school age children in your household for free meals. If you were informed that your children will get reduced price meals, see the income guidelines above and if you feel you would qualify for free meal benefits, complete an application for free and reduced price meals.
- WHAT IF WE HAVE FOSTER CHILDREN? Households with foster and non-foster children may choose to include the foster child as a household member, as this may help other children in the household qualify for benefits. If the foster family is not eligible for free or reduced price meal benefits, that does not prevent a foster child from receiving free meal benefits.
- HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILDREN QUALIFY AS HOMELESS, MIGRANT OR RUNAWAY? Do the members of your household lack a permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement? Does your family relocate on a seasonal basis? Are any children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household? If you believe children in your household meet these descriptions and haven’t been told your children will get free meals, please contact: Anna Fagervik at anna.fagervik@ames.k12.ia.us or 515-715-5627.
- DO I NEED TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH CHILD? No, complete the applications for free and reduced price school meals for all the students in your household. We cannot approve an application unless complete eligibility information is submitted, so be sure to complete all required information.
- MY CHILD’S APPLICATION WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT A NEW ONE? Yes, your child’s application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year, through 10/8/2024. You must complete a new application unless the school tells you that your child is eligible for the new school year. When the carryover period ends, unless you are notified that your children will receive free meals or you submit an application that is approved, the children must pay full price for school meals. The school is not required to send a reminder or a notice of expired eligibility.
- I GET WIC. CAN MY CHILDREN GET FREE MEALS? Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced price meals. Please complete an application.
- MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN? Yes, you, your children or other household members do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply for free or reduced price meals.
- WILL THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED? Yes, we may also ask you to send written proof of the household income you report. You are not required to provide proof with your application.
- IF I DON’T QUALIFY NOW, MAY I APPLY LATER? Yes, you may apply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free or reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income limit, if your household size goes up, or if you start getting SNAP, FIP, or other benefits.
- WHAT IF I DISAGREE WITH THE SCHOOL’S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION? You should talk to your school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to: Sherri Ruzek at 2005 24th Street, Ames, IA 50010 or sherri.ruzek@ames.k12.ia.us or call 515-268-6646.
- WHAT IF MY INCOME IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only made $900, put down that you made $1000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.
- WHAT IF SOME HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS HAVE NO INCOME TO REPORT? Household members may not receive the types of income we ask you to report on the application, or may not receive income at all. Whenever this happens, please write a 0 in the field. However, if any income fields are left empty or blank, those will also be counted as zeroes. Please be careful when leaving income fields blank, as we will assume you meant to do so.
- WE ARE IN THE MILITARY. DO WE REPORT OUR INCOME DIFFERENTLY? Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food or clothing, or receive Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance payments, it must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.
- DO I NEED TO PROVIDE MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER? Only the last four digits of the Social Security Number of the household’s primary wage earner or another adult household member (or an indication of “none”) is needed.
- WHAT IF THERE ISN’T ENOUGH SPACE ON THE APPLICATION FOR MY FAMILY? List any additional household members on a Supplemental Worksheet and attach it to your application. Contact Deb Milliken at deb.milliken@ames.k12.ia.us or 515-268-6646 to receive a Supplemental Worksheet.
- WHO CAN GET FREE MILK? If your school participates in the Special Milk Program for half day kindergarteners, your kindergarten child may be eligible for free milk. Children who buy extra milk with a meal or if they eat breakfast or lunch and have an afternoon milk break, are not eligible to receive free milk.
- MY FAMILY NEEDS MORE HELP. ARE THERE OTHER PROGRAMS WE MIGHT APPLY FOR? To find out how to apply for SNAP or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or call 1-877-347-5678. Your children may be eligible for Hawki (children’s health insurance) or a waiver of school fees. Read the information on the back of the Application for Hawki information. A school waiver form is available from your school.
- CAN CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES GET FOOD SUBSTITUTIONS? If a child has a disability, as determined by a licensed medical professional, and the disability prevents the child from eating the regular school meal, the school will make substitutions prescribed by the licensed medical professional. If a substitution is needed, there will be no extra charge for the meal. Please note, however, that the school is not required to make a substitution for a food allergy, unless it meets the definition of disability. Please call the school for further information.
- DO I NEED TO REPORT MY RACE AND ETHNICITY? It is optional to complete the racial/ethnic portion of the application, however, if you do not select race or ethnicity, one will be selected for you based on visual observation.
- Translated applications are available online.
If you have other questions or need help, contact Deb Milliken.
Information Statement
The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act requires the information on this application. You do not have to give the information, but if you do not submit all needed information, we cannot approve your child for free or reduced-price meals. You must include the last four digits of the social security number of the adult household member who signs the application.The social security number is not required when you apply on behalf of a foster child or you list a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Family Investment Program (FIP) or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) case number or other FDPIR identifier for your child or when you indicate that the adult household member signing the application does not have a social security number. We will use your information to determine if your child is eligible for free or reduced-price meals, and for administration and enforcement of the lunch and breakfast programs. We may share your eligibility information with education, health, and nutrition programs to help them evaluate, fund, or determine benefits for their programs, auditors for program reviews, and law enforcement officials to help them look into violations of programs rules.
Contact for more information:
