ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2020-2021 PUBLIC RELEASE FOR FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEALS NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH AND SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM

The Albuquerque Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services program plays a vital role in children’s health by providing free and reduced price meals to students in need. The following U.S. Department of Agriculture Programs are offered: National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Local school officials have adopted the following family size income criteria for determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and will offer meals to students that qualify according to the standards below:

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

Application forms are being distributed to all households with a cover letter informing them of the availability of free and reduced-price meals for enrolled children. Applications are available at each school cafeteria or each school front office; applications are also available online at www.aps.edu/food-and-nutrition-services. To apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits, households must complete an application and return it to the School Cafeteria for processing. Applications may be submitted at any time during the school year. The information households provide on the application will be used to determine meal eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by school or program officials.

For school officials to determine eligibility, households must provide the following information listed on the application: the names of everyone in the household, the amount of income each household member currently receives, where it came from, and how often income is received; the signature of an adult household member and the last four digits of that adult’s social security number. If the adult signing the application does not have a social security number, check the "I do not have a social security number" box. For a child who is a member of a SNAP household or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assistance unit, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), the household need provide only the child’s name, the SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR case number, and printed name and signature of an adult member on the application. An adult in the household with a case number may also qualify students also living in the household.

Public School Districts receive student data matched with the NMPED Department data and automatically qualify children receiving SNAP & TANF. No application is required. All children living in the household and attending the school are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. SNAP, FDPIR and TANF households should complete an application if they are not notified of their eligibility by 8/03/20.

Children certified as homeless by the school McKinney-Vento homeless liaison, designated as migrant by the school migrant coordinator as well as children in Head Start classrooms may be eligible for free meals. Contact the APS Food and Nutrition Services office if more information is needed.

Households that do not want their child(ren) to participate in the free meal program should notify the child(ren)’s school cafeteria.

Foster children, under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals. An application must be submitted. The foster child may be included as a member of the foster family if the foster family chooses to also apply for benefits for other children in the family. If you have questions about applying for foster children, contact the APS Food and Nutrition Services office.

Children residing in households participating in Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may be eligible for free or reduced price meals and may complete a meal application.

Under the provisions of the free and reduced-price meal policy, the determining official(s), as designated by APS Food and Nutrition Services, shall review applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians dissatisfied with the eligibility ruling may discuss the decision with the determining official on an informal basis. Parents may also make a formal request for an appeal hearing of the decision and may do so orally by calling: Mari Hernandez at (505) 345-5661 ext. 38206 or in writing by writing to: APS Food & Nutrition Services, 800 Louisiana Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 87108.

The information provided by households is confidential.

Meal benefits from the previous school year apply for the first 30 school days of the new school year or until a new application is submitted. After this time, children must pay full price for meals.

You may apply for meal benefits if you become unemployed or your economic situation changes at any time during the school year.

Contact the APS Food & Nutrition Services office if assistance is needed with application materials in different languages.

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, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. 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 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 complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, 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: mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; fax: (202) 690-7442; or email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.