South Central Local Schools News Article

Government shutdown free and reduced message

If you’ve been following the news, you’re most likely aware of the ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government. To some South Central School district residents, it’s more than a news story. As employees or contractors for the U.S. government, going without a paycheck is placing a real financial hardship on their families.

I wanted to take a moment to remind all South Central families about our free and reduced lunch program. Even a temporary impact setback to your income due to a furlough or layoff can qualify your child to participate. A family of four with a weekly income of $628 or less qualifies for free breakfast and lunch at school. A family of four with a weekly income of $890 or less qualifies for reduced-price breakfast and lunch.

The most important thing I want you to know is that both the application process and who is receiving free and reduced meals is confidential.  To apply, all you need to do is fill out an application you can print it from the website or receive a copy from the school. In the cafeteria, no one knows who is on the free and reduced program and who is not. Every student receives the same meal options and every student simply punches in an assigned four-digit pin number to get their food.

Once qualified for the program, you’re qualified for the whole year, even when you go back to work – giving families a little bit of a financial cushion to help recover from those lost wages.

The food served in our school’s cafeterias includes nutritious foods made by our dedicated staff. We all know that a good, balanced meal helps us be at our best. We want every student to be able to get the nutrition he or she needs to grow, learn and succeed.

To apply for the free and reduced lunch program, just go to www.South-central.org and click on the FORMS tab at the left of the page to find the online application. If you have questions about the program, please call Food Services Director, Jeanine Wilhelm @ 419-752-0011. If your family is facing financial hardship for any reason, I urge you to apply or to contact Jeanine to learn more.

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