Oceanside releases lunch eligibility charts

Ahead of the start of school this fall, the Oceanside School District recently released its income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price lunch policies.

Children in households with incomes that meet the eligibility in the chart below may apply for free or reduced-price lunches. Applications are also available online at the school website OceansideSchools.org/parents-students/food-service-menus.

To apply for free and reduced-price meals, complete an application and submit it to your child’s school. Parents and guardians are encouraged to apply even if they are not sure if they qualify since the application can impact other areas of funding. Families that have questions or need help can speak to their school social worker.

Information provided on the application will remain confidential. However, the school has the right to verify the information on the application at any time during the school year. If a parent does not give the school the information, the child will no longer be able to receive free or reduced-price lunches.

Under the policy, school officials will review the applications to determine eligibility. If a parent is unhappy with the ruling, they can make a request to appeal the decision.

Parents of children who have food allergies may request access to nutrition labels, which are stored digitally, to identify items that their children need to avoid. Call cafeteria operations director Jane Blackburn at (516) 678-7548, for questions and concerns related to food allergies.