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Unified School District 232Jolyn MortensonDe Soto – Shawnee – Lenexa – OlatheDirector of Student Nutritionw w w . u s d 23 2 .o r gDear Parent/Guardian:Children need healthy meals to learn. USD 232 De Soto offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs 1.45 elementary / 1.55 middle and high school; lunch costs 2.60 elementary / 2.65 middle school / 2.75 high school. Your children mayqualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. Reduced price is 0.30 for breakfast and 0.40 for lunch. An application for freeor reduced price meal benefits and a set of detailed instructions is included with this letter or available online at www.usd232.org.Contact Jolyn Mortenson at 913-667-6200 with questions or to request an application be sent. Below are some common questionsand answers to help you with the application process.1.WHO CAN GET FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS? All children in households receiving benefits from Food Assistance (FA), the Food Distribution Program on IndianReservations (FDPIR) or Temporary Assistance for Families (TAF) are eligible for free 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/Even 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 within the limits on the Federal IncomeEligibility Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals if your household income falls at orbelow the limits on this chart.FEDERAL ELIGIBILITY INCOME CHART For School Year 2018-2019Household 508Each additional person:7,992666154HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILDREN QUALIFY AS HOMELESS, MIGRANT, OR RUNAWAY? Do the members of your householdlack a permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement? Does yourfamily relocate on a seasonal basis? Are any children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family orhousehold? If you believe children in your household meet these descriptions and haven’t been told your children will getfree meals, please call or e-mail Robert (Joe) Kordalski at 913-667-6200 or rkordalski@usd232.org.3.DO I NEED TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH CHILD? No. Use one Free and Reduced Price School Meals Applicationfor all students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all requiredinformation. Return the completed application to: Jolyn Mortenson, USD 232 Student Nutrition, 35200 W 91st St, De Soto KS66018, 913-667-6200.4.SHOULD I FILL OUT AN APPLICATION IF I RECEIVED A LETTER THIS SCHOOL YEAR SAYING MY CHILDREN ARE ALREADYAPPROVED FOR FREE MEALS? No, but please read the letter you got carefully and follow the instructions. If any children inyour household were missing from your eligibility notification, contact Jolyn Mortenson at 913-667-6200 orjmortenson@usd232.org immediately.Letter to Household – 5/2018

5.CAN I APPLY ONLINE? Yes. You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper application if you areable. The online application has the same requirements and will ask you for the same information as the paper application.Visit www.usd232.org to begin or to learn more about the online application process. Contact Jolyn Mortenson, USD 232Student Nutrition, 35200 W 91st St, De Soto KS 66018, 913-667-6200, jmortenson@usd232.org if you have any questionsabout the online application.6.MY CHILD’S APPLICATION WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT A NEW ONE? Yes. Your child’s application isonly good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year, through September 25, 2018. You must send in anew application unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year. If you do not send in a newapplication that is approved by the school or you have not been notified that your child is eligible for free meals, your childwill be charged the full price for meals.7.I GET WIC. CAN MY CHILDREN GET FREE MEALS? Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free orreduced price meals. Please send in an application.8.WILL THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED? Yes. We may also ask you to send written proof of the household income youreport.9.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 and reduced price meals if thehousehold income drops below the income limit.10. WHAT IF I DISAGREE WITH THE SCHOOL’S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION? You should talk to school officials. You alsomay ask for a hearing by calling or writing to: Alvie Cater, USD 232 De Soto, 35200 W 91st Street, De Soto KS 66018 oracater@usd232.org.11. MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN? Yes. You, your children, or other householdmembers do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply for free or reduced price meals.12. WHAT IF MY INCOME IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normallymake 1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only made 900, put down that you made 1000 permonth. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost ajob or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.13. WHAT IF SOME HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS HAVE NO INCOME TO REPORT? Household members may not receive some types ofincome we ask you to report on the application, or may not receive income at all. Whenever this happens, please write a 0 inthe field. However, if any income fields are left empty or blank, those will also be counted as zeroes. Please be careful whenleaving income fields blank, as we will assume you meant to do so.14. WE ARE IN THE MILITARY. DO WE REPORT OUR INCOME DIFFERENTLY? Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reportedas income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, or receive Family SubsistenceSupplemental Allowance payments, it must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the MilitaryHousing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting fromdeployment is also excluded from income.15. WHAT IF THERE ISN’T ENOUGH SPACE ON THE APPLICATION FOR MY FAMILY? List any additional household members on aseparate piece of paper, and attach it to your application. Contact Jolyn Mortenson at 913-667-6200 orjmortenson@usd232.org to receive a second application.16. MY FAMILY NEEDS MORE HELP. ARE THERE OTHER PROGRAMS WE MIGHT APPLY FOR? To find out how to apply for FoodAssistance (FA) or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or call 1-888-369-4777.If you have other questions or need help, call 913-667-6200 during normal business hours.Sincerely,Jolyn MortensonUSD 232 Director of Student NutritionThis institution is an equal opportunity provider.Letter to Household – 5/2018

APPLICATION PACKET FOR FREE AND REDUCED PRICE SCHOOL MEALSHow to Apply for Free and Reduced Price School Meals. For translated materials, go to www.kn-eat.org, School Nutrition Programs, Administration, Foreign Language Translation.Please use these instructions to help you fill out the application for free or reduced price school meals. You only need to submit one application per household, even if yourchildren attend more than one school in USD 232 De Soto. The application must be filled out completely to certify your children for free or reduced price school meals. Pleasefollow these instructions in order! Each step of the instructions is the same as the steps on your application. If at any time you are not sure what to do next, please contact JolynMortenson at 913-667-6200 or jmortenson@usd232.org.PLEASE USE A PEN (NOT A PENCIL) WHEN FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION AND DO YOUR BEST TO PRINT CLEARLY.STEP 1: LIST ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS WHO ARE INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND STUDENTS UP TO AND INCLUDING GRADE 12Tell us how many infants, children, and school students live in your household. They do NOT have to be related to you to be a part of your household.Who should I list here? When filling out this section, please include ALL members in your household who are: Children age 18 or under AND are supported with the household’s income; In your care under a foster arrangement, or qualify as homeless, migrant, or runaway youth; Students attending USD 232 De Soto, regardless of age.A) List each child’s name. Print eachB) Is the child a student at USD 232 DeC) Do you have any foster children? If any childrenD) Are any children homeless,child’s name. Use one line of theSoto? Mark ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ under thelisted are foster children, mark the “Foster Child” boxmigrant, or runaway? If youapplication for each child. If there arecolumn titled “Student” to tell us whichnext to the child’s name. If you are ONLY applying for believe any child listed in thismore children present than lines on thechildren attend USD 232 De Soto. If youfoster children, after finishing STEP 1, go to STEP 4.section meets this description,application, attach a second piece ofmarked ‘Yes,’ write the name of theFoster children who live with you may count asmark the “Homeless, Migrant,paper with all required information forschool and the grade level of the studentmembers of your household and should be listed onRunaway” box next to thethe additional children.in the ‘School’ and ‘Grade’ columns to the your application. If you are applying for both fosterchild’s name and complete allright.and non-foster children, go to step 3.steps of the application.STEP 2: DO ANY HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS CURRENTLY PARTICIPATE IN FOOD ASSISTANCE, TAF, OR FDPIR?If anyone in your household (including you) currently participates in one or more of the assistance programs listed below, your children are eligible for free school meals: Food Assistance (FA). Temporary Assistance for Families (TAF). The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).A) If no one in your household participates in any B) If anyone in your household participates in any of the above listed programs:of the above listed programs: Write a case number for FA, TAF, or FDPIR. You only need to provide one case number. If you participate in one of theseprograms and do not know your case number, contact Kansas Department for Children and Families. Leave STEP 2 blank and go to STEP 3. Go to STEP 4.STEP 3: REPORT INCOME FOR ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHow do I report my income?Use the charts titled “Sources of Income for Adults” and “Sources of Income for Children”, printed on the back side of the application form to determine if your householdhas income to report. Report all amounts in GROSS INCOME ONLY. Report all income in whole dollars. Do not include cents.o Gross income is the total income received before taxes.o Many people think of income as the amount they “take home” and not the total, “gross” amount. Make sure that the income you report on this application has NOT beenreduced to pay for taxes, insurance premiums, or any other amounts taken from your pay. Write a “0” in any fields where there is no income to report. Any income fields left empty or blank will also be counted as a zero. If you write ‘0’ or leave any fields blank, youare certifying (promising) that there is no income to report. If local officials suspect that your household income was reported incorrectly, your application will be investigated. Mark how often each type of income is received using the check boxes to the right of each field. Application Packet for Free and Reduced Price School MealsPage 1