WSD announces free and reduced price meals policy

Wallace School District No. 0393 announced its policy for free and reduced price meals for children unable to pay the full price for meals served under the National School Lunch and Free Provision 2 Breakfast Programs. Each school and the office of the Local School District has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party. The WSD schools participating in the National School Lunch and Free Provision 2 Breakfast program include Silver Hills Elementary and Wallace Jr./Sr. High School.

Application forms are available to all homes, along with a letter to parents or guardians. To apply for free or reduced price meals, households should fill out the application and return it to the school. Additional copies of the form are available at each school. The information provided on the application will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by school or other program officials.

Households with any member who is receiving Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Families in Idaho or Food Distribution on Indian Reservations are only required to provide the recipient’s name, their food stamp, TAFI or FDPIR case number, the student’s name and an adult signature.

For other applicants, the household must list the names of all household members, all household income with the amount, source and frequency of the income received by each household member. If a household member does not have income, the no income box must be checked. An adult signature is required along with the last 4 digits of the adult’s social security number. The signature of the adult household member certifies that the information provided is correct.

You may include all foster children’s names on a household application with other non-foster children. Foster children are eligible for school meal benefits. Foster children must be the legal responsibility of the welfare agency or the court.

Students who are homeless, runaway or migrant are also eligible for benefits. Household members do not have to be U.S. citizens for students to qualify for benefits.

Applications may be submitted at any time during the year.

Under the provisions of free-and-reduced-price meal policy the Determining Official will review the applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians dissatisfied with the ruling of the official(s) may wish to discuss the decision with the Determining Official(s) on an informal basis. Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to the Hearing Official for a hearing on the decision.

Determining Official Dr. Robert Ranells can be reached at 208-753-4515.

The school 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 program rules.