How do kids qualify for free or reduced lunch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are random audits that require verification.

And if they are audited, and found not to qualify, what happens? Nothing. They just don't get free lunch. There's no deterant in stopping someone with the inclination to lie from doing so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the recent past, families at my school self reported. Believe me, no one wants school lunch. It's gross. Also, no one wants teachers and office staff to know they are poor. In the last year though, my district did away with any income verification. Any kid who wants breakfast or lunch can have it, free of charge. This change happened because older kids were beginning to put together "they are poor" with the kids who don't pay each day. Our state didn't want kids avoiding ordering lunch because they didn't want to be seen as poor. No kid wants to be the poor kid. Some will go hungry to avoid that stigma. Especially, if they are in a district like mine with a wide income spread. We have families of 6 living on less than 20K a year and then we have families of 3 living on 100K. That's a big difference.

[guardian]


In middle school/high school most kids buy lunch from school. My two MS kids buy because they are too lazy to pack their lunches, and they so that most of the other kids at their middle class school buy as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the recent past, families at my school self reported. Believe me, no one wants school lunch. It's gross. Also, no one wants teachers and office staff to know they are poor. In the last year though, my district did away with any income verification. Any kid who wants breakfast or lunch can have it, free of charge. This change happened because older kids were beginning to put together "they are poor" with the kids who don't pay each day. Our state didn't want kids avoiding ordering lunch because they didn't want to be seen as poor. No kid wants to be the poor kid. Some will go hungry to avoid that stigma. Especially, if they are in a district like mine with a wide income spread. We have families of 6 living on less than 20K a year and then we have families of 3 living on 100K. That's a big difference.

What state is this? Here all kids have an identical lunch card. No one can tell whether the parent put money in the kid's account or if they are getting reduced lunch. I find it highly surprising that your state hasn't thought of this.

[Anonymous]

Why do you care? You try eating Revolution Foods for three days straight. Should be free period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fwiw, the vast majority of people are honest.

OP here. I believe that as well and obviously the schools that have the largest number of farm families are located in low income areas, so presumably many of them are being truthful, but I guess I find it rather hard to believe that this all operates on the honor system, and there is no attempt to determine whether the family’s income is as low as what they self report.

Why in the world do you care?

The kids are getting fed. Have you ever gone hungry for more than a day? Of course there is some fraud, but it's not the kids fault and it's rare.

Adults do stupid things sometimes the children should not suffer.

In Broward County Florida all children are allowed to have breakfast at school no questions asked.

You sound like a peach.

Way to overreact. OP never said she was against the policy just that she was surprised there is no verification. I think most people would assume there was some sort of verification. Your rush to judgement makes you sound like "the peach".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the recent past, families at my school self reported. Believe me, no one wants school lunch. It's gross. Also, no one wants teachers and office staff to know they are poor. In the last year though, my district did away with any income verification. Any kid who wants breakfast or lunch can have it, free of charge. This change happened because older kids were beginning to put together "they are poor" with the kids who don't pay each day. Our state didn't want kids avoiding ordering lunch because they didn't want to be seen as poor. No kid wants to be the poor kid. Some will go hungry to avoid that stigma. Especially, if they are in a district like mine with a wide income spread. We have families of 6 living on less than 20K a year and then we have families of 3 living on 100K. That's a big difference.

What state is this? Here all kids have an identical lunch card. No one can tell whether the parent put money in the kid's account or if they are getting reduced lunch. I find it highly surprising that your state hasn't thought of this.

Of course you understand that not every parent has access to a credit card or the internet, and therefore has no way to put money into an "account". I'm in a state west of DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the recent past, families at my school self reported. Believe me, no one wants school lunch. It's gross. Also, no one wants teachers and office staff to know they are poor. In the last year though, my district did away with any income verification. Any kid who wants breakfast or lunch can have it, free of charge. This change happened because older kids were beginning to put together "they are poor" with the kids who don't pay each day. Our state didn't want kids avoiding ordering lunch because they didn't want to be seen as poor. No kid wants to be the poor kid. Some will go hungry to avoid that stigma. Especially, if they are in a district like mine with a wide income spread. We have families of 6 living on less than 20K a year and then we have families of 3 living on 100K. That's a big difference.

What state is this? Here all kids have an identical lunch card. No one can tell whether the parent put money in the kid's account or if they are getting reduced lunch. I find it highly surprising that your state hasn't thought of this.

Of course you understand that not every parent has access to a credit card or the internet, and therefore has no way to put money into an "account". I'm in a state west of DC.

So the students all pay with cash? My school district doesn't handle any funds in the lunch line, all done with a code. Parents can load the account online or send in a check. I imagine parents without internet access and/or credit cards, as you mention, would probably generally be eligible for free/reduced lunch anyways so the accounts are fully funded.

[Anonymous]

Yep, parents pay in cash, often per day. The teacher collects the 55 cents for reduced lunch or the $1.40 for full pay. Or used to. As a teacher, I'm just glad I don't have to deal with the money any more. Some folks want change and even though we say we don't make change, it's awfully hard not to refund that money when you know every dime counts for some families.

[Anonymous]

How many people are going to try to scam the system for what would amount to $10-$15 a week?

[Anonymous]

In my district, the forms go to the homeroom teacher so the kid knows that a teacher knows their family is poor.

[Anonymous]

There are a few different ways that federal programs serving low-income people certify-there is categorial eligibility where a whole category of of people is eligible (foster children, kids who are homeless, children living in low-income areas if the school has gone through the certification process), or there is individual eligibility where a family states their household income and the number of people in the household to determine if they qualify. No documentation of income is required for individual eligibility. I'm really happy with the meals at my daughter's school, they have a cook on-site and it's a very good meal for only $1.66 per lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many people are going to try to scam the system for what would amount to $10-$15 a week?

+1. The other thing many posters may not realize is that for some FARMs families, just sending in the form is difficult enough without providing documentation. Some FARMs families are disorganized due to extreme stress, multiple jobs, mental illness, and sometimes emotional chaos. Any extra steps will make it less likely the child will eat. I went a few hungry years as a child because my mom wouldn't send in the form but wouldn't pay either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my district, the forms go to the homeroom teacher so the kid knows that a teacher knows their family is poor.

I'm guessing that the teacher could have figured it out anyway...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fwiw, the vast majority of people are honest.

OP here. I believe that as well and obviously the schools that have the largest number of farm families are located in low income areas, so presumably many of them are being truthful, but I guess I find it rather hard to believe that this all operates on the honor system, and there is no attempt to determine whether the family’s income is as low as what they self report.

The danger of kids going hungry because of difficulties with verification paperwork is much greater than a few kids getting a free lunch unnecessarily.

That's also why some schools have community eligibility.

THIS. Also why drug tests for SNAP benefits are ridiculous. People don't need hoops to jump through, they need HELP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fwiw, the vast majority of people are honest.

OP here. I believe that as well and obviously the schools that have the largest number of farm families are located in low income areas, so presumably many of them are being truthful, but I guess I find it rather hard to believe that this all operates on the honor system, and there is no attempt to determine whether the family’s income is as low as what they self report.

The danger of kids going hungry because of difficulties with verification paperwork is much greater than a few kids getting a free lunch unnecessarily.

That's also why some schools have community eligibility.

THIS. Also why drug tests for SNAP benefits are ridiculous. People don't need hoops to jump through, they need HELP.

It's also more efficient. If you are drawing a large majority of kids from low-income communities, why are you going to pay someone to process all the paperwork to show that the kids are individually from low-income homes.