From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE – Trussville City Schools has announced its policy for free and reduced-price meals for children served in schools under the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program. Local school officials have adopted the following household size and income criteria for determining eligibility:
Breakfast costs $1.50; lunch costs K-5 $2.50 /6-12 $2.75
“Children need healthy meals to learn,” TCS said. “Trussville City Schools offers healthy meals every school day.”
Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. Reduced price is $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch.
Below are some common questions and answers to help you with the application process.
1. WHO CAN GET FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS?
- All children in households receiving benefits from Alabama SNAP, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
(FDPIR) or Alabama TANF, are eligible for free meals. - All children in the households receiving benefits from Medicaid are eligible for free or reduced meals.
- Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals.
- Children participating in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
- Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals.
- Children who are directly certified are eligible to receive free meals.
- When known to Trussville City Schools, households will be notified of their children’s eligibility for free meals based on their
participation (or a household member’s participation) in the: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Food
Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR); or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), if the State program
meets Federal standards. - When known to Trussville City Schools, households will be notified of any child’s eligibility for free meals based on the
individual child’s designation as Other Source Categorically Eligible, as defined by law. Children are determined Other Source Categorically Eligible if they are: Homeless, Migrant, Runaway, A foster child, or Enrolled in Head Start or an eligible pre-kindergarten program (see: SP 40-2013: Q&As Regarding the Participation of Head Start Programs in Child Nutrition Programs, https://www.fns.usda.gov/qas-regarding-participation-head-start-programs-child-nutrition-programs-0).
2. HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILDREN QUALIFY AS HOMELESS, MIGRANT, OR RUNAWAY? Do the members of your household lack a
permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement? Does your family relocate on a
seasonal basis? Are any children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household? If you believe children in your
household meet these descriptions and haven’t been told your children will get free meals, please call or e-mail student services at
205-228-3033.
3. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH CHILD? No. Use one Free and Reduced-Price School Meals Application for all
students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Return the
completed application to: Terrie Coggins, Terrie.Coggins@Trussvillecityschools.com, (205) 228-3034.
4. SHOULD I FILL OUT AN APPLICATION IF I RECEIVED A LETTER THIS SCHOOL YEAR SAYING MY CHILDREN ARE ALREADY
APPROVED FOR FREE MEALS? No, but please read the letter you got carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in your household
were missing from your eligibility notification, contact Terrie Coggins, 476 Main Street, Trussville, AL 35173,
Terrie.Coggins@Trussvillecityschools.com, (205) 228-3034 immediately.
5. CAN I APPLY ONLINE?
_______Yes! You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper application if you are able. The online application has the
same requirements and will ask you for the same information as the paper application. Visit N/A to begin or to learn more about the online
application process. Contact N/A if you have any questions about the online application.
___X__No, an online application is not available at this time.
6. MY CHILD’S APPLICATION WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT A NEW ONE? Yes. Your child’s application is only
good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year, through September 20, 2023. You must send in a new application unless
the school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year. If you do not send in a new application that is approved by the school or you
have not been notified that your child is eligible for free meals, your child will be charged the full price for meals.
7. I GET WIC. CAN MY CHILDREN GET FREE MEALS? Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced-price
meals. Please send in an application.
8. WILL THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED? Yes. In accordance with program regulations school officials will be verifying the income of
some households at some time during the school year. Selected households will be requested to provide income documentation in order to
continue receiving free and reduced-price meals.
9. IF I DON’T QUALIFY NOW, MAY I APPLY LATER? Yes, you may apply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a parent
or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free and reduced-price meals if the household income drops below the income
limit.
10. WHAT IF I DISAGREE WITH THE SCHOOL’S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION? You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for
a hearing by calling or writing to: Dr. Patrick Martin, 476 Main Street, Trussville, AL 35173, (205) 228-3000.
11. MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN? Yes. You, your children, or other household members do not have
to be U.S. citizens to apply for free or reduced-price meals.
12. WHAT IF MY INCOME IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1000
each month, but you missed some work last month and only made $900, put down that you made $1000 per month. If you normally get overtime,
include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current
income.
13. WHAT IF SOME HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS HAVE NO INCOME TO REPORT? Household members may not receive some types of income we
ask you to report on the application or may not receive income at all. Whenever this happens, please write a 0 in the field. However, if any income
fields are left empty or blank, those will also be counted as zeroes. Please be careful when leaving income fields blank, as we will assume you
meant to do so.
14. DO I HAVE TO PROVIDE MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER? Only the last 4 digits of the social security number of the household’s primary
wage earner or another adult household member (or an indication of “none”) is required.
15. MAY I DECLINE BENEFITS? Yes. Households notified of their children’s eligibility must contact Trussville City Schools or school if they
choose to decline the free meal benefits.
16. WHAT IF ALL CHILDREN ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS ARE NOT ON THE NOTICE OF ELIGIBILITY LETTER? If children or households receive
benefits under Assistance Programs or Other Source Categorically Eligible Programs and are not listed on the notice of eligibility and are not
notified by the school of their free meal benefits, the parent or guardian should contact the school or should submit an income application.
17. WE ARE IN THE MILITARY. DO WE REPORT OUR INCOME DIFFERENTLY? Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as
income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, it must also be included as income. However, if your
housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay
resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.
18. WHAT IF THERE ISN’T ENOUGH SPACE ON THE APPLICATION FOR MY FAMILY? List any additional household members on a separate
piece of paper, and attach it to your application. Contact Terrie Coggins, 476 Main Street, Trussville, AL 35173, (205) 228-3034,
Terrie.Coggins@trussvillecityschools.com to receive a second application.
19. MY FAMILY NEEDS MORE HELP. ARE THERE OTHER PROGRAMS WE MIGHT APPLY FOR? To find out how to apply for Alabama
SNAP or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or call (800) 382-0499.
If you have other questions or need help, call (205) 228-3034.
USDA NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this
institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity* and
sexual orientation*), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative
means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should
contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice
and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination
Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form from any USDA office, by
calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address,
telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or
letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
- email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
*The enclosed “non discrimination” language herein was added pursuant to the May 5, 2022, USDA memorandum. However,
although included as currently required for audit compliance by the USDA, the State of Alabama objects to its inclusion, applicability
and the application of this language due to currently pending legal challenges in the matter of THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, ET AL. V.
USDA, ET AL., Case No. 3:22-cv-00257, and may be subject to change or removal.