FWISD Students Eat Free Of Charge In 2021-2022 School Year
All students in the Fort Worth ISD will be offered free healthy meals, every day, for the 2021-2022 school year!
Typically, a student’s household must meet income eligibility requirements to qualify for free or reduced-price meals. However, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued guidance that allows schools to offer meals to all students at no cost for the coming school year.
While no application or eligibility determination is required for your student to receive free meals in the 2021-2022 school year, income eligibility requirements will likely resume in the 2022-2023 school year. As such, Fort Worth ISD will process household applications during school year 2021-2022 to ensure student eligibility for free or reduced-price meals during the first 30 days of the 2022-2023 school year while those applications are being processed. Each campus has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed upon request.
Starting in August of 2022 Fort Worth ISD will begin distributing letters to households of the children about eligibility benefits and actions households need to take to apply. Applications also are available online at www.fwisd.org/domain/162 or at Fort Worth ISD Child Nutrition Services, 601 E Northside Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76164
The following criteria will be used to determine a child’s eligibility for free or reduced-price meal benefits at the beginning of School Year 2022-2023:
Income
- Household income that is at or below the income eligibility levels
Categorical or Automatic Eligibility
- Household receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
Program Participant
- Child’s status as a foster child, homeless, runaway, migrant, or displaced by a declared disaster
- Child’s enrollment in Head Start or Even Start
Income Eligibility
For those households that qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on income, an adult in the household must complete the free and reduced-price meal application and return it to Charlotte Torres, CNS Specialist, 817-814-3540. Those individuals filling out the application will need to provide the following information:
- Names of all household members
- Amount, frequency, and source of current income for each household member
- Last 4 digits of the Social Security number of the adult household member who signs the application or, if the adult does not have a social security number, check the box for
“No Social Security number”
- Signature of an adult household member attesting that the information provided is correct
Categorical or Program Eligibility
Fort Worth ISD is working with local agencies to identify all children who are categorically and program eligible. Fort Worth ISD will notify the households of these children that they do not need to complete an application. Any household that does not receive a letter and feels it should have should contact Charlotte Torres, CNS Specialist at 817-814-3540.
Any household that wishes to decline benefits should contact Charlotte Torres, CNS Specialist at 817-814-3540.
Applications may be submitted anytime during the school year. The information households provide on the application will be used to determine eligibility. Applications may also be verified by the school officials at any time during the school year.
Determining Eligibility
Under the provisions of the free and reduced-price meal policy, application processors will review applications and determine eligibility. Households or guardians dissatisfied with the Reviewing Official’s eligibility determination may wish to discuss the decision with the Reviewing Official on an informal basis. Households wishing to make a formal appeal for a hearing on the decision may make a request either orally or in writing to Angela Lowe, CNS Assistant Director at 817-814-3500 or 601 E. Northside Dr., Fort Worth, TX.
Unexpected Circumstances
If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size increases, the household should contact the school. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for benefits if the household’s income falls at or below the attached current income eligibility guidelines.
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