SFUSD announces school nutrition program for 2018-19

Press Release

San Francisco (August 7, 2018) - The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is announcing its policy to serve nutritious meals every school day and provide free and reduced-price meals to students who meet certain qualifications. Additionally, students enrolled in one of more than 50 SFUSD schools will be offered breakfast and lunch every school day at no charge.

Research indicates that eating habits affect student performance and health. Students who are hungry or poorly nourished have difficulty learning and do not perform as well in the classroom as students who are well-nourished. SFUSD’s Student Nutrition Services strives to create a student-centered, equitable and financially stable school food ecosystem that provides dignified meal experiences and engages all students in eating fresh, healthy food.

SFUSD’s nutrition guidelines for Breakfast ↗, Lunch ↗and Snacks ↗ meet or exceed the standards outlined in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals and adhere to the USDA’s recently published Smart Snacks nutrition standards required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

Free and Reduced-Price Meals

Effective July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019, students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals if the household income is less than or equal to the federal guidelines. “Household” is synonymous with family and is defined as a group of related or unrelated individuals who are not residents of an institution or boarding house, but who are living as one economic unit sharing housing and all significant income and expenses.

Students automatically eligible for free meals: Students in households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits — known as CalFresh in California, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) benefits — or students who are recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families — known as CalWORKs in California — are automatically eligible for free meal benefits.

Households do not need to apply for meal benefits when the household receives a Direct Certification letter stating the student automatically qualifies to receive free or reduced price meals for the current school year. When any household member receives benefits from CalFresh, CalWORKs, FDPIR, or a student meets the definition of foster, homeless, migrant, or runaway, students are eligible for free meals.

Contact Student Nutrition Services if any student in the household meets the criteria or does not receive a Direct Certification letter. The household must let Student Nutrition Services know if they do not want to receive free or reduced-price meal benefits.

NOTE: There will be no charge for meals to PreK and TK students enrolled in Early Education schools.

Other potentially eligible students: Households that receive Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Student (WIC) benefits, may be eligible for free or reduced-price meal benefits by submitting the form.

Foster students are eligible for free meals and may be included as a household member if the foster family chooses to also apply for the non-foster student on the same form. Including foster students as a household member may help the non-foster student qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits. If the non-foster student is not eligible, this does not keep foster student from receiving free meals.

How to apply for free or reduced-price meals: The Multipurpose Family Income form is the new meal application and will be sent to all households with a letter about the free and reduced-price meal benefits.

Apply online: Households that want to apply for meal benefits online  may fill out the form in a simple, secure and confidential method at Schoolcafe.com and include all students in the household enrolled in SFUSD schools, including Early Education Schools.

Apply in person: Households that want to apply for meal benefits in person may submit a paper form to your student’s school.

Apply by mail: Households that want to apply for meal benefits by mail may send the form to the Student Nutrition office at 841 Ellis Street, San Francisco CA 94109.

Contact Noelia Oropeza via email at Schoollunch@sfusd.edu or call 415-749-3604 for help filling out the form. Student Nutrition Services will notify the household with a letter or email if your form was approved or denied for free or reduced-price meal benefits.

If your household eligibility changes: Households may turn in a paper form or apply online at any time during the school year. If you are not eligible now, but your household income goes down, household size goes up, or a household member starts receiving CalFresh, CalWORKs, or FDPIR, you may apply at that time. Information given on the form will be used to determine eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by Student Nutrition Service officials. It is required from the adult who is completing the form to indicate the last 4 digits of their Social Security number or mark that you do not have a Social Security number.

Your student’s eligibility status from last school year will continue into the new school year for up to October 1, 2018, or until the school processes your new form, or your student is otherwise Direct Certified for free or reduced-price meals. After the 30 school days, your student will have to pay full price for meals, unless the household receives a notification letter for free or reduced-price meals. Student Nutrition Service officials do not have to send reminders or expired eligibility notices.

Students not eligible for free or reduced-price meals: Students that do not qualify may purchase lunch for $3.00 and breakfast for $1.50 at elementary, middle, and high schools.

Until your form is processed, you will need to provide your student(s’) with money to purchase school meals at the prices listed above. Prepayment is available online with credit or debit cards at MyPaymentsPlus.com for Elementary Schools and Schoolcafe.com for Middle & High Schools or by cash or check at your school. PLEASE ALLOW 10 WORKING DAYS FOR ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION.  

If you do not agree with the decision or results of the verification, you may discuss it with Student Nutrition Service officials. You also have the right to a fair hearing, which may be requested by calling or writing to the hearing official: Noelia Oropeza, Engagement Manager, Student Nutrition Services, 841 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109, or 415-749-3604.

Breakfast Provision 2 Program

There are two SFUSD schools participating in the Breakfast Provision Program for the 2018-2019 school year. Students enrolled in either of the two schools will be offered breakfast every school day at no charge. The participating schools are Balboa High School and Galileo Academy of Science and Technology.

Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)

There are 54 SFUSD schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program for the 2018-2019 school year. Students enrolled in any of the 54 schools will be offered breakfast and lunch every school day at no charge, regardless of whether or not a they apply free or reduced price meal benefits.

Studies have shown that students who are not hungry perform better in school. By providing breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge, we are hoping to create a better learning environment for our students.

The CEP program cannot succeed without your support. Please encourage your student(s) to participate in school meal programs.

Participating schools are:

Bessie Carmichael	Hillcrest Elementary	Mission Ed Center Elementary
Bret Harte Elementary	Hilltop High School	Mission High
Bryant Elementary	Ida B Wells High	ML King Middle
Buena Vista Horace Mann	James Denman Middle	Monroe Elementary
Burton, Phillip & Sala High	James Lick Middle	Moscone Elementary
Carver, G.W. Elementary	Jean Parker Elementary	One Purpose Elementary
Cesar Chavez Elementary	John Muir Elementary	Paul Revere
Charles Drew Elementary	John Y. Chin Elementary	Redding Elementary
Chinese Education Center	John O’Connell High	Sanchez Elementary
Civic Center Secondary	J. Serra Elementary	SF International High School
Cleveland Elementary	June Jordan High	Sheridan Elementary
Downtown High	KIPP Bayview High	Spring Valley Elementary
Dr. W. Cobb Elementary	KIPP SF Bay Academy	Tenderloin Elementary
El Dorado Elementary	Longfellow Elementary	Thurgood Marshall High
ER Taylor Elementary	Marina Middle	Visitacion Valley Middle
Francisco Middle	Malcolm X Elementary	Visitacion Valley Elementary
L. R. Flynn Elementary	Marshall Elementary	Willie Brown Middle
Gordon Lau Elementary	McCauley Adolescent Ctr
Guadalupe Elementary

 

For additional information please contact: San Francisco Unified School District, Jennifer LeBarre, Executive Director of Student Nutrition Services, 841 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109, (415) 749-3604, Schoollunch@sfusd.edu.

 

                                                            ###

Page updated on 08/07/18