Income guidelines set for free, reduced meals

Income guidelines set for free, reduced meals
By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Monday, September 8, 2008

As a new academic year swings into full speed, military school officials are reminding parents that eligibility for free or reduced-price meals has been adjusted to reflect slightly higher income levels.

This school year, a household of four qualifies with a maximum income of $34,450. In 2007, a family of four with a household income of $32,500 or less qualified for a free lunch, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics.

Department of Defense schools in the Pacific and Europe adhere to Alaska income categories. The Alaska guidelines are higher than those used for the 48 contiguous states, which Guam schools follow. USDA bases guidelines for free meals and milk and reduced-price meals on federal income poverty data.

The cost for a school lunch at Pacific and Europe military bases is $2.05 for elementary school students and $2.20 for secondary school students, according to information from the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, which administers overseas school lunch programs. Those eligible for a reduced lunch pay 40 cents per meal.

Families may apply for free or reduced-price meals any time during the school year as their qualifications change, Department of Defense Education Activity officials said in a news release. A family that’s ineligible at the beginning of the school year may reapply if, for instance, household income decreases, household size increases or a household member becomes unemployed.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57268