The Warren County School District encourages parents to apply for free and reduced school lunches.

Parents who have already received a “Notice of Direct Certification” from the district in the mail should not complete an application, according to information on the district’s website. Those parents who received the notice, however, should let the school know if any of the children in their household are not listed on the notice.

Who qualifies for free or reduced priced meals and milk?

According to the district’s website, all children in households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program) funds or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits are eligible, as are foster children under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court, children participating in their school’s Head Start program, children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant, and children whose household income is within the limits of the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. For a household of four, the annual income cap is $45,510 ($3,793 monthly, $876 weekly).

Children whose household members lack a permanent address, are staying in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement, or relocates on a seasonal basis, or any children living with a family who have chosen to leave their prior family or household may meet the definition for homeless, migrant or runaway, which would qualify them for free or reduced school meals.

Contact Kristine Trubic at (814) 723-6900 or trubick@wcsdpa.org for more information.

Only one application need be completed for all children in a household. Incomplete applications cannot be accepted, according to the district’s website, so all required information must be filled out. Return completed applications to the Warren County School District, c/o Stacey Lobdell, at 6820 Market Street, Russell, Pa., 16345. If any children were not on a notice of direct certification received in the mail, the family should email Lobdell at lobdellsl@wcsdpa.org or call (814) 723-6900.

Online applications are encouraged, and can be completed by visiting schoolcafe.com, the PA Department of Human Services website at compass.state.pa.us, or the district’s website at wcsdpa.org.

Applications are only good for one school year and the first few days of the next, so if a child was eligible for free and reduced lunch last year and a notice of direct certification has not been received, parents must complete a new application unless told otherwise.

Children in households participating in the WIC program may be eligible for free or reduced price meals, and those families are encouraged to complete an application, according to the district’s website.

Information supplied on a free or reduced meal application will be verified, including income. Income that is not the same each pay should be rounded to the most that’s usually earned each period. Income fields left blank will be assumed to indicate an amount of zero. If there is no income for certain types asked for on the application, a zero should be indicated. Blank fields will be assumed intentional.

Basic pay and cash bonuses for military members must be reported as income. Cash value balances for off=base housing, food, or clothing as well as Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance payments, must also be included as income. If housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, housing allowances are not to be included as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.

Applications for free and reduced lunch can be completed all year, and applications are encouraged whenever a change in household circumstances changes. Anyone who did not qualify for free or reduced lunch and wants to request a hearing may do so by calling or writing to Mike Kiehl, Warren County School District, 6820 Market Street, Russell, Pa., 16345, (814) 723-6909, kiehlm@wcsdpa.org.

Free and reduced lunches are made available to children who are not U.S. citizens, or who has household members who are not U.S. citizens. Any additional household members for which there is not enough room on the application can be listed on a separate sheet of paper attached to the application. Information on further nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP or other benefits can be found at compass.state.pa.us, or by contacting the local assistance office at 1-800-692-7462. Questions about the school lunch program and free or reduced meals can be directed to the district by calling (814) 723-6900.