Dear Parent/Guardian:

Children need healthy meals to learn. Pleasant Grove ISD offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs $1.95; lunch costs $3.30. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced-price meals. Reduced-price is Free for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch. If you received a notification letter that a child is directly certified for free or reduced-price meals, do not complete an application. Let the school know if any children in the household attending school are not listed in the letter.

The questions and answers that follow and attached directions provide additional information on how to complete the application. Complete only one application for all the students in the household.  Applications are available on https://linqconnect.com/3Z7D6U or at 8500 N Kings Hwy Texarkana, TX 75503.  If you have questions about applying for free or reduced-price meals, contact Carla Hinton, 903-831-4086.

1. Who Can Get Free Meals? 

• Income—Children can get free or reduced-price meals if a household’s gross income is within the limits described in the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.

• Special Assistance Program Participants—Children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Food Distribution Program for Households on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), are eligible for free meals. 

• Foster—Foster children who are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals. 

• Head Start or Early Head Start—Children participating in these programs are eligible for free meals.

• Homeless, Runaway, and Migrant—Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant qualify for free meals. If you haven’t been told about a child’s status as homeless, runaway, or migrant or you feel a child may qualify for one of these programs, please call Tina Antley, 903-831-4086.

• WIC Recipient—Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. 

2. What if I disagree with the school’s decision about my application? Talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to 903-831-4086, 8500 N Kings HWY Texarkana, TX 75503.

3. My child’s application was approved last year. Do I need to fill out a new one? Yes. An application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year. Send in a new application unless the school has told you that your child is eligible for the new school year. 

4. If I don’t qualify now, may I apply later? Yes. Apply at any time during the school year. A child with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free and reduced-price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.

5. What if my income is not always the same? List the amount normally received. If a household member lost a job or had hours/wages reduced, use current income.

6. We are in the military. Do we report our income differently? Basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. Any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, or Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance payments count as income. If housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include the housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is excluded from income. 

7. 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. 

8. Will application information be checked? Yes. We may also ask you to send written proof of the reported household income. 

9. My family needs more help. Are there other programs we might apply for? To find out how to apply for other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or 2-1-1.

10. Can I apply online? Yes! The online application has the same requirements and will ask you for the same information as the paper application. Visit https://linqconnect.com/3Z7D6U to begin or to learn more about the online application process. Contact Carla Hinton or Kimberly Blankenship, 903-831-4086, if you have questions about the online application. 

If you have other questions or need help, call Carla Hinton 903-831-4086.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Blankenship

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. 

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted 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: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.