| To apply for free or reduced price meals or milk, use this Free and Reduced Price
School Meals Application, which can be printed using acrobat reader. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Return the completed application to:
Food Service Office, 1111 N Sales St. Merrill WI.
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| Children need healthy meals
to learn. Merrill Area School District offers healthy meals
every school day. Elementary children (Grades 1-5) may purchase a
lunch for $1.85, middle school (Grades 6-8) may purchase a lunch for $2.00,
and high school (Grades 9-12) is $2.15 . Breakfast may be purchased for $1.20
(Grades K-5), and (Grades 6-12) for $1.35. Your children may qualify
for free meals or for reduced price meals. Reduced price is
$.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch. Our Computerized Meal System ensures no student may be identified as being approved for subsidized meals when receiving their lunch or milk.
Here are some frequently asked questions about free or reduced priced meals: |
| Do I need to fill out an application for each child? |
| No. Complete the application
to apply for free or reduced price meals. Use one Free and
Reduced Price School Meals Application for all students in your
household. We cannot approve an application that is not
complete, so be sure to fill out all required information.
Return the completed application to:
Food Service Office, 1111 N Sales St. Merrill
WI. |
| Who can get free meals? |
| Children in households getting FoodShare
the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) or W-2
cash benefits can get free meals regardless of your income. Also, if your household income is within the
free limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. |
| Can Foster Children get free meals? |
| Yes, foster children that
are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court,
are eligible for free meals. Any foster child in the household
is eligible for free meals regardless of income. |
| Can homeless, runaway, and migrant children get free meals? |
| Yes, children who meet the
definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant qualify for free meals.
If you haven't been told your children will get free meals, please
call or e-mail Rich Thwaits at 536-6101 to see if they qualify. |
| Who can get reduced price meals? |
| Your children can get low
cost meals if your household income is within the reduced price
limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines, shown on this application. |
| Should I fill out an application if I received a letter
this school year saying my children are approved for free meals? |
| Please read the letter
carefully and follow the instructions. Call the school at
536-4594 ext. 3023 if you have questions. |
| My child's application was approved last year. Do I
need to fill out another one? |
| Yes. Your child's
application is only good for that school year and for the first few
days of this school year. You must send in a new application
unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new
school year. |
| I get WIC. Can my child(ren) get free meals? |
| Children in households
participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced
price meals. Please fill out an application. |
| Will the information I give be checked? |
| Yes, we may ask you to send
written proof. |
| If I don't qualify now, may I apply again later? |
| Yes. You may apply at any
time during the school year. For example, children with a parent or
guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free and
reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income
limit. |
| What if I disagree with the school's decision about my application? |
| You should talk to school
officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to:
Louise Fischer 539-4581 ext. 1346. |
| May I apply if someone in my household is not a U.S.
citizen? |
| Yes. You or your
child(ren) do not have to be a U.S. citizen to qualify for free or
reduced price meals. |
| Who should I include as members of my household? |
| You must include all people
living in your household, related or not (such as grandparents,
other relatives, or friends), who share income and expenses. You must include yourself and all
children who live with you. If you live with other people who
are economically independent (for example, people who you do not
support, who do not share income with you or your children, and who
pay a pro-rated share of expenses), do not include them. |
| What if my income is not always the same? |
| List the amounts that you
normally get. For example, if you normally get $1000 each
month, but you missed some work last month and only got $900, put
down that you get $1000 per month. If you normally get
overtime, include it, but not if you get it only sometimes. If
you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your
current income. |
| We are in the military. Do we include our housing
allowance as income? |
| If you get an off-base
housing allowance, it must be included as income. However, if
your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization
initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. |
| My spouse is deployed to a combat zone. Is his/her
combat pay counted as income? |
| No, if the combat pay is
received in addition to his/her basic pay because of his/her
deployment and it wasn't received before he/she was deployed, combat
pay is not counted as income. Contact your school for more
information. |
| We are in the military. Do we include our housing
allowance as income? |
| If you get an off-base
housing allowance, it must be included as income. However, if
your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization
initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. |
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If you have other questions
or need help, call 536-4594 ext. 3023
Si necesita ayuda, por favor llame
al telefono: 536-4594 ext. 3023
Sivousvoudriz d'aide, contactez nous au numero:
536-4594 ext. 3023
Sincerely,
MAPS Food Service.
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