School District Five announces free and reduced price meals policy for 2019-2020

For Immediate Release – June 11, 2019

School District Five announces free and reduced price meals policy for 2019-2020

IRMO – Lexington-Richland School District has announced its policy for free and reduced price meals for children served in schools under the National School Lunch program and the School Breakfast program. School officials have adopted the following household size and income criteria for determining eligibility:

Household size and income guidelines for free meals or reduced price meals effective from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.

Children from families whose income is at or below the levels shown may be eligible for free or reduced price meals.

For school officials to determine eligibility, the household must provide the following information on the application:  (1) A SNAP or TANF case number certifying the household is currently eligible for either of these assistance programs and an adult household member signature or (2) names of all household members, the name and last four digits of the social security number of the adult household member signing the application form, current income by source for each household member and a signature of an adult household member certifying that the information provided is correct.

Foster children may also be eligible for these benefits regardless of household income.  If a household has foster children living with them and the household has not previously been notified by the School District that their foster children have been directly certified for free meals, the household should include and count the foster children (including personal income earned by the foster children) on the household application form with other non-foster children.

Under the provisions of the policy Laurie Dodson will review applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians dissatisfied with the ruling of the reviewing official may wish to discuss the decision with the reviewer on an informal basis. Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to Todd Bedenbaugh at: 1020 Dutch Fork Rd., Irmo, S.C. 29063 (803-476-8153) for a hearing to appeal the decision. The hearing procedures are outlined in the policy.

If a household member becomes unemployed or if household size changes, the household should contact the school to file a meal application. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for free or reduced price meals if the household income falls at or below the levels shown above. A complete copy of the policy is on file in each school and in the office of the district superintendent where any interested party may review it.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.                

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