Do people lie about FARMS?

[Anonymous]

When I first started teaching, my kids were eligible for free meals. We lived in a basement apt in a good school district.

[Anonymous]

It's a lot easier to be FARMs when you aren't married. They only calculate the mom's income but most of the people I know are getting support from their boyfriends. Or it was a strategy of the couple not to get married to lower their HHI.

[Anonymous]

How does this work? I saw the income guidelines but are they gross or net? I am in a new low-paying job and gov't benefits would really help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does this work? I saw the income guidelines but are they gross or net? I am in a new low-paying job and gov't benefits would really help.

Gross, but you get deductions.

If you qualify for snap or TANF you automatically get free meals at school.

[Anonymous]

You live like my neighbors. There's well over 10 of them living in a 3 (maybe 4) bedroom townhouse. They have 10 cars between them.

Or like many of my students - multiple children, one parent, two bedroom apartment.

A single parent with a low paying job and multiple children could easily qualify.

[Anonymous]

I thought qualification was based on "household" income.
That includes everyone in the home, married or not. Is this not true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought qualification was based on "household" income.
That includes everyone in the home, married or not. Is this not true?

Household as in family unit. Unmarried couples with children in common, yes, their income will count. If mom has a live in boyfriend and he isn't the father of the kids, his income doesn't count. He has no legal responsibility to her or the kids. Just like grandparents have no legal responsibility to their adult children or grandkids, so their income isn't counted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought qualification was based on "household" income.
That includes everyone in the home, married or not. Is this not true?

Household as in family unit. Unmarried couples with children in common, yes, their income will count. If mom has a live in boyfriend and he isn't the father of the kids, his income doesn't count. He has no legal responsibility to her or the kids. Just like grandparents have no legal responsibility to their adult children or grandkids, so their income isn't counted.

I don't think it matters because they don't ask for proof or verification of income. No one want children to starve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A neighbor of mine and her husband lied about their income so that their daughter would have preference in Montessori for APS. She had a few too many glasses of wine one night when we were hanging out with other neighbors and told me-well, more like bragged about it.

Her husband is self-employed and does a lot of his business in cash. He makes a lot more than he reports.

She was wasn't really working at the time.

She has her own business now and has classified it as a non-profit. There is NO way her business is a non-profit. Lies, lies, lies.

Did the Montissori not ask for any verification? (In FFX so I don't know how that works?)

They did, but reported income was much lower than actual income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought qualification was based on "household" income.
That includes everyone in the home, married or not. Is this not true?

Household as in family unit. Unmarried couples with children in common, yes, their income will count. If mom has a live in boyfriend and he isn't the father of the kids, his income doesn't count. He has no legal responsibility to her or the kids. Just like grandparents have no legal responsibility to their adult children or grandkids, so their income isn't counted.

I don't think it matters because they don't ask for proof or verification of income. No one want children to starve.

If true, that's weird, though honestly anyone who is lying to get on free lunch is probably already Lying to get on snap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought qualification was based on "household" income.
That includes everyone in the home, married or not. Is this not true?

Household as in family unit. Unmarried couples with children in common, yes, their income will count. If mom has a live in boyfriend and he isn't the father of the kids, his income doesn't count. He has no legal responsibility to her or the kids. Just like grandparents have no legal responsibility to their adult children or grandkids, so their income isn't counted.

I don't think it matters because they don't ask for proof or verification of income. No one want children to starve.

Yes and no. They don't verify everyone but they select a random sample to request verifications on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A neighbor of mine and her husband lied about their income so that their daughter would have preference in Montessori for APS. She had a few too many glasses of wine one night when we were hanging out with other neighbors and told me-well, more like bragged about it.

Her husband is self-employed and does a lot of his business in cash. He makes a lot more than he reports.

She was wasn't really working at the time.

She has her own business now and has classified it as a non-profit. There is NO way her business is a non-profit. Lies, lies, lies.

Did the Montissori not ask for any verification? (In FFX so I don't know how that works?)

They did, but reported income was much lower than actual income.

So they are just cheaters all around? Cheating on their income taxes, which allows them to cheat to get into Montessori at reduced tuition, too? That's extra crappy, because it's taking the spot from someone who might really need the assistance to afford preschool for their child. Gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A neighbor of mine and her husband lied about their income so that their daughter would have preference in Montessori for APS. She had a few too many glasses of wine one night when we were hanging out with other neighbors and told me-well, more like bragged about it.

Her husband is self-employed and does a lot of his business in cash. He makes a lot more than he reports.

She was wasn't really working at the time.

She has her own business now and has classified it as a non-profit. There is NO way her business is a non-profit. Lies, lies, lies.

Did the Montissori not ask for any verification? (In FFX so I don't know how that works?)

They did, but reported income was much lower than actual income.

Or their businesses aren't.as prolfitable as you think, or that they.have a great accountant.

Point is, you are just speculating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school is supposedly 6% farms. Which I find amazing because that means 45 kids/750.

In our district there are ZERO apartments and ZERO condos. I am not exaggerating. Literally zero. The cheapest townhome is worth $350k and rents for $1800/month. There is no Section 8 or anything like that.

So even figuring 2 kids per family on average, there are 22 families so poor they qualify for FARMS? I have a hard time believing that.

Foster kids?

Families doubled up with relatives in their home?

Families who bought their home in better times, and are now experiencing extended unemployment?

Widow trying to stretch out a life insurance payment?

Housekeeper or other domestic servant with an exception to bring their child to the school by their work?

Kids being brought in for a special education program?

This. Honestly, I'm surprised it is so low, even at a school like Langley or Great Falls, which I'm assuming is where OP probably is.

Maybe Fairfax should redistrict.

Ours is about 6%. I'll double check. West Springfield, which is nothing like Langley or Great Falls.

Oh, ok. There are definitely families doubled up in West Springfield, foster families, basement rentals, and some subsidized housing intermixed. Fairfax County definitely owns property in that area that is part of their subsidized program. (I'm a former SNAP worker in Fairfax.)

No doubt. I was just responding to the poster who was surprised at a low FARMS rate of 6%, assuming the school must be in Langley or Great Falls.

[Anonymous]

facts always help.
Here is a link to this year's application from fairfax county- http://www.fcps.edu/fs/food/serve/documents/FRAppFormWLetterInstructions.pdf
It clearly states that all members of the household must be listed, and defines household as anyone living with you.
44Kper year for a family of 4 will get you reduced price meals- not free. Anything over that and you get nothing. (unless you have more kids.)