The purpose of this memo is to provide income eligibility guidelines and free and reduced-price meal application materials to local education agencies for the 2010-11 school year. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulatory memo SP 28-2010 specifies that these guidelines be used to make free and reduced-price meal eligibility determinations until further notice. Such determinations shall be effective for the entire school year and up to 30 operating days of the following school year.
Attached to this memo are the income eligibility guidelines to be used in determining free or reduced-price meal eligibility for the child nutrition programs. Also attached are the application materials including forms, letters and media releases to be used by the local education agencies for the 2010-11 school year.
The attached application materials have some changes incorporated from the USDA prototype application materials released May 24, 2010. Do not use the forms and letters packet that were part of Commissioner's Memo FIN-10-082 (Renewal Agreement). It is required that the 2010-11 rree and reduced-price meal application, forms, and letters be used for the 2010-11 school year. Districts are monitored by Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Child Nutrition Unit, and the use of incorrect year’s applications can void eligibility for student meal benefits. To make changes to the attached applications, forms, or letters, the local education agency must have written approval by the ADE Child Nutrition Unit prior to publication.
Those districts using scanned applications need to use all forms and letters in this memo except for the application. Please contact the area specialist for the district regarding changes to the scanned applications.
The attachment marked “Forms Packet highlighted” has all of the changes highlighted for review. Use the attachment that is not marked “highlighted” to print materials for publication