FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2023
Free School Meals Continue in the 2023-2024 School Year
(Novato, CA) … The Novato Unified School District today announced that it will be serving meals to students under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2023-2024 school year. All students will be served breakfast and lunch at no charge under the California Universal Meals Program at the following sites:
- Novato High School
- San Marin High School
- Hill Education Center
- San Jose Intermediate
- Sinaloa Middle School
- San Ramon Elementary School
- Rancho Elementary School
- Pleasant Valley Elementary School
- Olive Elementary School
- Lynwood Elementary School
- Lu Sutton Elementary School
- Loma Verde Elementary School
- Hamilton TK-8 School
- Novato Charter School
While the program will offer free Universal Meals for all students, households will continue to be able to complete an application for free and reduced-price meals, which may support the school district’s local education funding and could also qualify the family for additional benefits. Regardless of your determined eligibility status, your child will continue to receive free meals for the 2023-2024 school year.
Free Meal Income Eligibility Guidelines Reduced-Price Meals Income Eligibility Guidelines
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Please visit https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/rs/scales2324.asp for more information on eligibility.
Households do not need to submit a meal application when the household receives a notification letter saying that all children automatically qualify for free meals when any household member receives benefits from SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR. Children who meet the definition of foster, homeless, migrant, or runaway, and children enrolled in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals. Contact school officials if any child in the household is not on the notification letter.
Applications will be available online at www.LunchApp.com or at your student’s school office for the free and reduced-price meal program. Households that want to apply for meal benefits, must fill out one application for all children in the household and give it either to your school’s office manager or mail it to 819 Olive Avenue, Novato, CA 94945. Contact Cody Williams at 415-892-2115 for help filling out the application. The NUSD Food Service Department or the online website will let you know if your application is approved or denied for free or reduced-price meals.
Households may turn in an application at any time during the school year. If you are not eligible now, but your household income goes down, household size goes up, or a household member starts receiving SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR, you may turn in an application at that time. Information given on the application will be used to determine eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by school officials. The last four digits of the Social Security number from any adult household or checking that you do not have a Social Security number is required if you include income on the application.
Households that receive Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals by filling out an application.
Foster children are eligible for free meals and may be included as a household member if the foster family chooses to also apply for the non-foster children on the same application. Including foster children as a household member may help the non-foster children qualify for free or reduced-price meals. If the non-foster children are not eligible, this does not keep foster children from receiving free meals.
Your child’s eligibility status from last school year will continue into the new school year for up to 30 school days or until the school processes your new application, or your child is otherwise certified for free or reduced-price meals.
If you do not agree with the decision or results of verification, you may discuss it with school officials. You also have the right to a fair hearing, which may be requested by calling or writing the hearing official: Joshua Braff, NUSD CFO, 1015 Seventh Street, Novato, CA 94945.
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 (including gender identity and sexual orientation), 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:
(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: 202-690-7442
(3) E-mail: [email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.