Who in the school knows which students are on the free lunch program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 90% of the children at the school where I teach are FARMS. So, we pretty much all know.

Holy cow. Where the hell is this?

There are several local schools with this FARMs rate. Why so surprised?

Because that's an incredible (and unfair) burden on the taxpayers.

[Anonymous]

Our school also does free breakfast so everybody knows that walks past the cafeteria on the morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 90% of the children at the school where I teach are FARMS. So, we pretty much all know.

Holy cow. Where the hell is this?

There are several local schools with this FARMs rate. Why so surprised?

Because that's an incredible (and unfair) burden on the taxpayers.

If they qualify they qualify. It costs the same whether 90% of a school qualifies or if those same 90% of kids were all at different schools .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 90% of the children at the school where I teach are FARMS. So, we pretty much all know.

Holy cow. Where the hell is this?

There are several local schools with this FARMs rate. Why so surprised?

Because that's an incredible (and unfair) burden on the taxpayers.

Oh absolutely. It's an unfair burden on the taxpayers to subsidize the lunches of children in poor neighborhoods. Because it's not like proper nutrition is linked to better academic performance or anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school also does free breakfast so everybody knows that walks past the cafeteria on the morning.

Our school does free breakfast, but you can also pay for breakfast--so just because a student eats breakfast at school doesn't mean he is getting it (or the lunch) for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 90% of the children at the school where I teach are FARMS. So, we pretty much all know.

Holy cow. Where the hell is this?

There are several local schools with this FARMs rate. Why so surprised?

Because that's an incredible (and unfair) burden on the taxpayers.

Oh absolutely. It's an unfair burden on the taxpayers to subsidize the lunches of children in poor neighborhoods. Because it's not like proper nutrition is linked to better academic performance or anything.

For families that qualify for food stamps, are the free lunches and breakfasts taken into consideration when determining the amount they are eligible for? So would the family get more money (in food stamps) during summer months?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 90% of the children at the school where I teach are FARMS. So, we pretty much all know.

Holy cow. Where the hell is this?

Much of dcps is like this. After a certain number is determined they just make it 100% free lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 90% of the children at the school where I teach are FARMS. So, we pretty much all know.

Holy cow. Where the hell is this?

There are several local schools with this FARMs rate. Why so surprised?

Because that's an incredible (and unfair) burden on the taxpayers.

Oh absolutely. It's an unfair burden on the taxpayers to subsidize the lunches of children in poor neighborhoods. Because it's not like proper nutrition is linked to better academic performance or anything.

For families that qualify for food stamps, are the free lunches and breakfasts taken into consideration when determining the amount they are eligible for? So would the family get more money (in food stamps) during summer months?

My experience, as a child who received reduced price lunches during elementary school 20 years ago, no, the free lunch award is separate from the food stamps award. Summers were hard for our family, with 2 kids eating 5 extra meals per week.

In case PP is asking because they feel that SNAP benefits should be reduced because their children get free lunch at school, please consider the amount of the award ($668 per month for a family of 4) and then consider how much you personally spend on food per month. We try to keep our grocery budget to $125/week for a family of 2 adults and one school age child who brings her lunch to school every day. That's about $18 a day for meals, or about $6 per meal for all family members (so $2 per person per meal). It's really, really hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 90% of the children at the school where I teach are FARMS. So, we pretty much all know.

Holy cow. Where the hell is this?

There are several local schools with this FARMs rate. Why so surprised?

Because that's an incredible (and unfair) burden on the taxpayers.

Oh absolutely. It's an unfair burden on the taxpayers to subsidize the lunches of children in poor neighborhoods. Because it's not like proper nutrition is linked to better academic performance or anything.

For families that qualify for food stamps, are the free lunches and breakfasts taken into consideration when determining the amount they are eligible for? So would the family get more money (in food stamps) during summer months?


No. In fact, because of this issue, in my hometown, the churches get together to provide free lunches to kids (K-8) during the summer. It's a very small, rural town so a lot of kids make their way over to the daily lunch site to get their one nutritious meal for the day.

[Anonymous]

PP who got reduced price meals as a kid.

Our charter offers lunch every day to all students. We receive an invoice at the end of the month based on lunches consumed. I assume that the way it would work for free lunch is that that invoice would be zeroed out or submitted to someone other than the parents of the child.

My elementary school issued voucher tickets for free lunch kids. Everyone knew when you were in line because you were paying with a ticket and not a dollar bill. It was hugely stigmatizing and I often skipped lunch all together as a result. That was sometimes hard, because it resulted in being hungry. I hope they do things differently now. Lord knows children do not need more obvious things to make them different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 90% of the children at the school where I teach are FARMS. So, we pretty much all know.

Holy cow. Where the hell is this?

There are several local schools with this FARMs rate. Why so surprised?

Because that's an incredible (and unfair) burden on the taxpayers.

http://frac.org/federal-foodnutrition-programs/national-school-lunch-program/community-eligibility/

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine people who begrudge children getting a meal. They didn't ask to be poor. But of the grace of God...

[Anonymous]

No, it is not included in their food stamp allotment for the summer. It isn't included for the school year, either - our church regularly makes up bags of food to send home with food-insecure children at local schools every weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 90% of the children at the school where I teach are FARMS. So, we pretty much all know.

Holy cow. Where the hell is this?

There are several local schools with this FARMs rate. Why so surprised?

Because that's an incredible (and unfair) burden on the taxpayers.

Oh absolutely. It's an unfair burden on the taxpayers to subsidize the lunches of children in poor neighborhoods. Because it's not like proper nutrition is linked to better academic performance or anything.

For families that qualify for food stamps, are the free lunches and breakfasts taken into consideration when determining the amount they are eligible for? So would the family get more money (in food stamps) during summer months?

My experience, as a child who received reduced price lunches during elementary school 20 years ago, no, the free lunch award is separate from the food stamps award. Summers were hard for our family, with 2 kids eating 5 extra meals per week.

In case PP is asking because they feel that SNAP benefits should be reduced because their children get free lunch at school, please consider the amount of the award ($668 per month for a family of 4) and then consider how much you personally spend on food per month. We try to keep our grocery budget to $125/week for a family of 2 adults and one school age child who brings her lunch to school every day. That's about $18 a day for meals, or about $6 per meal for all family members (so $2 per person per meal). It's really, really hard.

I'm the PP who asked, and also the OP. We are going through a hard situation right now, and DO qualify for both food stamps and free lunches. We have applied for the free lunches, but not food stamps. My children are embarrassed to take the free lunches, which is why I asked the original question.

We have a family larger than 6 people, so I suppose we would qualify for more than $668/month in food stamps...plus the free meals at school? Honestly, if I decide to apply we will be eating like KINGS, compared to our regular grocery budget!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 90% of the children at the school where I teach are FARMS. So, we pretty much all know.

Holy cow. Where the hell is this?

There are several local schools with this FARMs rate. Why so surprised?

Because that's an incredible (and unfair) burden on the taxpayers.

Oh absolutely. It's an unfair burden on the taxpayers to subsidize the lunches of children in poor neighborhoods. Because it's not like proper nutrition is linked to better academic performance or anything.

For families that qualify for food stamps, are the free lunches and breakfasts taken into consideration when determining the amount they are eligible for? So would the family get more money (in food stamps) during summer months?

My experience, as a child who received reduced price lunches during elementary school 20 years ago, no, the free lunch award is separate from the food stamps award. Summers were hard for our family, with 2 kids eating 5 extra meals per week.

In case PP is asking because they feel that SNAP benefits should be reduced because their children get free lunch at school, please consider the amount of the award ($668 per month for a family of 4) and then consider how much you personally spend on food per month. We try to keep our grocery budget to $125/week for a family of 2 adults and one school age child who brings her lunch to school every day. That's about $18 a day for meals, or about $6 per meal for all family members (so $2 per person per meal). It's really, really hard.

I'm the PP who asked, and also the OP. We are going through a hard situation right now, and DO qualify for both food stamps and free lunches. We have applied for the free lunches, but not food stamps. My children are embarrassed to take the free lunches, which is why I asked the original question.

We have a family larger than 6 people, so I suppose we would qualify for more than $668/month in food stamps...plus the free meals at school? Honestly, if I decide to apply we will be eating like KINGS, compared to our regular grocery budget!

OP, thanks for responding. I'm the PP you're responding to. You can find the eligibility (and the award amounts) here: http://dhs.dc.gov/service/snap-eligibility

I'm also the PP who was embarrassed to take the free lunches as a kid, and I am so sorry your family is going through this. Might be worth a conversation with your kids' school(s) to see what the process is. I'm certain that things have evolved past the "raffle tickets" approach my elementary school had.

Also, for what it's worth, at my daughter's school, breakfast is free for everyone. You can eat it or not. No one has tickets. No one gets billed for it. My understanding is that this is common at most elementary schools.

Wishing you all the best.