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Tyler elementary schools continue free meals

By Staff | Jul 23, 2014

Tyler County Schools will continue to implement the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) available to select schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for School Year 2014-2015.

This means students attend Arthur I. Boreman Elementary and Sistersville Elementary schools are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2014-2015 school year. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit a meal application.

Your child(ren) are eligible for free meals at the school they are currently enrolled. If they eat meals at or transfer to a non-CEP school during the 2014-2015 school year, then you will be responsible for those potential meal charges.

Also, please note that this program does not take away any existing debt incurred over past school years, and it will be the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure that the debt be paid in full or it will be sent to magistrate court.

Free and reduced price meal applications are available for Tyler Consolidated Middle and High School students.

The Tyler County Board of Education announces the availability of free and reduced price meals for individuals who meet income guidelines. Direct certification letters have been mailed to all parents or guardians with a child enrolled in Tyler County Schools. Free and reduced price meal applications will be sent home the first day of school with all students attending Tyler County Schools. If you do not receive an application, additional copies of the application are available at all schools and the county office.

All parents or guardians wishing to apply for free or reduced price meals should fill out one household application form as soon as possible and return to the Office of Child Nutrition, Tyler County Schools, P.O. Box 25, Middlebourne, WV 26149. An application may be submitted at any time during the school year, but must be submitted annually for continued eligibility.

Tyler County Schools has made it easier for families to complete a school meals application. Parents or guardians can apply online at wvschoolmeals.net to get started. Students will be able to obtain eligibility benefits faster, electronic submission ensures that the completed application reaches the county office quickly, and the process is secure.

The information submitted on the application is confidential information to be used only for the purposes of determining eligibility of the participant. If Section VII is checked, the information may be released to the indicated agency.

School or program officials may verify information given on the application at any time during the school year.

To determine eligibility for free or reduced price benefits, the household applying for a child must provide all of the following information listed on the application: names of all household members; the last four digits of the Social Security number of the household member who signs the application or a statement that the household member does not possess one; amount and source of income received by each household member; and the signature of an adult household member certifying that the information provided is correct.

Food stamp, or TANF, households only have to provide the participant’s name and current food stamp or TANF case number and an adult household member’s signature. In certain cases, foster children are also eligible for these benefits. If a family has foster children living with them and wishes to apply for free or reduced price meals for them, the program director should be contacted.

Under the provision of the free and reduced price meal policy, the child nutrition director will process applications to determine eligibility. If a parent or guardian is dissatisfied with the decision, he/she may wish to discuss the decision with the child nutrition director on an informal basis. If the parent or guardian wishes to make a formal complaint, he/she may make a request either orally or in writing to Amanda Kimble, P.O. Box 25, Middlebourne, WV 26149, or phone 304-758-2145 for a hearing to appeal the decision.

The effective date for free or reduced price meals will be the approval date. The approved status will not be retroactive to the first day of school or enrollment date. Please submit an application as soon as possible. If you wish to have an application mailed prior to the opening of the school, please do not hesitate to contact the Tyler County Board Office at 304-758-2145 to have one mailed directly to you.

If during the school year a family member becomes unemployed or if a family size changes, the family should contact the school and/or county office to file an application.

School meal prices for the 2014-15 school year are as follows (listed as meal, full price, reduced price): Elementary children breakfast, free, free; Middle/high children breakfast, $1.25, 30 cents; Adult breakfast, $2.40;

Elementary children lunch, free, free; Middle/high children lunch, $1.75, 40 cents; Adult lunch, $3.40. Extra milk at all schools is 40 cents each.

Lunch bills will be sent home after each month’s billing. Generally, you will receive your bill in the first 10 days of the month for the previous month. Please pay your child’s bill promptly. Their charge system is designed for your convenience so that you do not need to send money on a daily basis. The schools want to continue this courtesy to you. If meal bills are more than two months delinquent, meals can no longer be charged. At this point, you will be notified to send money on a daily basis or send a packed lunch from home.

File Online

Beat all that paperwork at the beginning of the school year. File your family meal application online.

Apply online anytime using an internet-enabled computer. You can complete and submit an application in minutes. Students will obtain eligibility benefits faster. Electronic submission ensures that the completed application reaches the county office quickly. It is secure and confidential.

Simply go to wvschoolmeals.net to get started.

Afterschool supper to be offered

Students at Tyler Consolidated Middle/High School will now have access to a nutritious supper through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The 2009 federal Omnibus Appropriations Act expanded the at-risk afterschool supper program to include West Virginia as a state to participate in this program.

The at-risk afterschool supper program provides reimbursement to programs that offer suppers to children. The suppers fill a much-needed gap in nutrition that occurs in low-income areas; a gap where some children’s last full meal of the day is school lunch. Now, those children can have an additional meal, which meets set nutrition guidelines.

Schools and child care centers are eligible, under CACFP, to participate if they are located in an attendance area of a school in which at least 50 percent of enrolled children are eligible for free or reduced-priced meals.

The at-risk afterschool supper program supports the link between learning and nutrition. All centers and schools that participate in the program must include an educational component in their programming. In states where the program has already been established, the at-risk afterschool supper program has been shown to increase participation in afterschool learning activities.

At Tyler Consolidated, tutoring is offered Monday-Friday for interested students. Additionally, athletics, clubs, student organizations, band, choir, etc. occur during after-school hours. For the parents’ convenience, an after-school activity bus is available Monday-Friday. The buses drop students off in the Middlebourne and Sistersville area.

The CACFP plays an important role in establishing healthy eating and physical activity habits that last a lifetime. Tyler County is proud to be participating in such a worthwhile program.

Substitute foods are available

Accommodations in meal services are available for Tyler County School students with special dietary needs. Schools will make substitutions in foods for students with dietary needs who are unable to consume the regular meal because of medical or other special dietary needs. These meals/substitutions will be provided at no additional charge, or free or reduced to those with free and/or approved reduced price applications on file.

Schools require parents/guardians of children with or without a disability who have need of special meals to provide medical certification that verifies special meals are needed because of the child’s disability or medical condition and describe the alternate foods and forms of foods needed to meet the child’s special dietary needs. Substitutions will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A physician must sign the statement. Your school can provide forms 126-85-113 and WVDE ADM 47 for the physician to complete. Schools must have a current (updated yearly) physician’s statement on file before they can begin serving a special diet.

Contact your school immediately to inform them of any special diet of food allergies, or other needs.

For further information, contact the school nurse.

Income guidelines

The Tyler County Board of Education has announced its policy for free and reduced price meals and free milk for participants who are unable to pay the full price meals or milk served in schools, centers, institutions, or homes that participate in the National School Lunch, Breakfast Programs, the Snack Program under NSLP, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Summer Food Service Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, or in the Special Milk Program.

The Tyler County Board of Education has adopted the following family size income criteria for use in determining the eligibility of participants for free and reduced price meals and free milk (listed as household size, annual income for free, and annual income for reduced): one, $15,171, $21,590; two, $20,449, $29,101; three, $25,727, $36,612; four, $31,005, $44,123; five, $36,283, $51,634; six, $41,561, $59,145; seven, $46,839, $66,656; eight, $52,117, $74,167. For each additional family member add $5,278 for free meals or $7,511 for reduced meals.

Participants from households whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free and reduced price meals (or for free milk).

Application forms are being sent to some homes with a letter to parents, guardians, or adult household members. All parents, guardians or adult household members wishing to apply for free or reduced price meals or free milk may fill out the application form sent home by the school, center, institution, or home. Additional copies of the application are available at all sites and county offices. The information provided on the application is confidential information to be used only for the purposes of determining eligibility of the participant or sharing this information with other agencies sponsoring USDA Child Nutrition Programs. An application may be submitted at any time during the school year, but must be submitted annually for continued eligibility. Information given on the application may be verified at any time during the school year by school or program officials.

So that the school or program officials can determine eligibility for free or reduced price benefits, the household applying for a child must provide all of the following information listed on the application: Names of all household members; the last four-digits of the Social Security number of the household member who signs the application or a statement that the household member does not possess one; amount and source of income received by each household member; and the signature of an adult household member certifying that the information provided is correct. Households currently receiving Food Stamps or TANF benefits for children must indicate a Food Stamp/TANF Program Case Number for the household. The signature of an adult household member is required to certify the information provided on the application is correct. Households with foster and non-foster children may choose to include the foster child as a household member, as well as any personal income earned by the foster child, on the same household application that includes their non-foster children. Foster payments received by the family from the placing agency are not considered income and do not need to be reported. The signature of an adult household member is required to certify the information provided on the application is correct.

To determine eligibility for free or reduced price benefits for adult participants, the household or adult participant must provide the following information on the application: name of adult participant and adult participant’s dependent(s) and spouse residing with the participant; the last four-digits of the Social Security number of the adult household member who signs the application, or a statement that person does not possess one; participant’s income and dependent(s) and spouse’s income, if residing with the participant; and the signature of participant or adult household member. Food Stamp, TANF, (or in the case of Adult Day Care SSI and Medicaid), households only have to provide the participant’s name and current Food Stamp, TANF case number, SSI, and Medicaid number and an adult household member’s signature.

Eligibility status remains in effect for one program year. If there is a change in household size or income that would reflect an increase in benefits for the program participant, reapplication is encouraged.

Under the provision of the free and reduced price meal and free milk policy the school principal or program director will review applications and determine eligibility. If a parent, guardian, or adult household member is dissatisfied with the decision, he/she may wish to discuss the decision with the principal or director on an informal basis. If the parent, guardian or adult household member wishes to make a formal complaint or request a hearing to appeal the decision, he/she should contact either orally or in writing to Amanda Kimble, P.O. Box 25, Middlebourne, WV 26149; 304-758-2145. The sponsor (county or private school, institution, center site, or home) policy contains an outline of the hearing procedures.

This institution and the USDA are equal opportunity providers and employers.

The U.S Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)

If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call 866-632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.

Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 or 800-845-6136 (Spanish).

Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact them by mail directly or by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

Each school, child and adult care center, institution or site, home and the office of the Sponsor has a copy of the complete policy which may be reviewed by any interested party.