School Meal Changes for the 2022/23 School Year
This is an important reminder for all Kingston City School District (KCSD) families. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program that provided free school meals to all students during the COVID-19 pandemic ended on June 30, 2022. This means that unless qualifying families turn in a free/reduced price meal application, they will need to pay full price for meals this year at certain schools that do not fall under the Community Eligibility Provision, a federal provision that provides free breakfast and lunch to certain schools based on a number of economic factors. Schools that no longer automatically provide free meals are: Meagher PreK, Robert Graves Elementary, Ernest C. Myer Elementary, E.R. Crosby Elementary, and Kingston High School.
Here are some essential facts about the free meal application:
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Only one application per household is needed.
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A new application must be completed each school year.
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Families that currently receive SNAP or Medicaid may be automatically qualified for free meals in school. If so, families will receive a letter from the Food Service Department informing them of their qualification.
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Families who believe they are eligible are encouraged to apply as soon as possible in order to avoid a negative balance.
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Eligible families also receive other benefits like internet discounts and college readiness discounts, including reduced fees for SATs, ACTs, and AP tests.
Families can find meal pricing, free meal applications, menus, and more on the Food Services web page.
How Do I Apply for Free Meals for My Child?
In order to get free breakfast and lunch for their children, families will need to fill out a free meal application that is approved. Eligibility for free/reduced price meals is determined by income and household size or by direct certification lists provided to the District.
There are a number of ways that families can submit their applications to the Food Services Department:
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Email a file, scan, or photo of the application to: foodservice@kingstoncityschools.org;
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Mail to or drop off the application at the Food Services Office at J. Watson Bailey Middle School;
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Send the application to school with your child to hand to a teacher or staff person.
All families who submit applications will receive a letter from the Food Services Department informing them whether or not they are eligible. Please contact the Food Services Department if you applied but did not receive a result letter.
How Do I Pay for My Child’s Meals?
In order to pay for their child’s meals, families can:
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Set up a MySchoolBucks account. This service allows families to prepay for meals and track their child’s spending. Families can send a check to their child’s school to avoid the processing fee associated with using a credit or debit card.
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Send payment in the form of a check to prepay or cash to school with their child.
For more information about the meal program, please contact the Food Services Department at foodservice@kingstoncityschools.org or call (845) 943-3663.
