Bakersfield.com

The Kern County Superintendent of Schools and all of Kern County's 47 public school districts (please see attached list) announce the policy for providing free and reduced-price meals for children served under the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program. Each school or district office has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party. 

The attached Income Eligibility Guidelines will be used to determine eligibility for free, reduced-price or full-price meal benefits. Children from households whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Children who receive Food Stamp (FS), California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids (CalWORKs), Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payments (Kin-GAP) or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) benefits are automatically eligible for free meals regardless of the income of the household in which they reside. Eligibility for a foster child is based on a separate application and solely on the amount of the child=s Apersonal use@ income. 

Application forms are being distributed to all households with a letter informing them of the availability of free and reduced-price meals for enrolled children. Applications are also available at the principal=s office in each school. To apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits, households must complete an application and return it to the school for processing. Applications may be submitted at any time during the school year. The information households provide on the application will be used to determine meal eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by school or program officials. 

                Requirements for school officials to determine eligibility for free and reduced-price benefits are as follows: For households receiving Food Stamp, CalWORKs, Kin-GAP or FDPIR case number and the signature of an adult household member. For households who do not list a Food Stamp, CalWORKs, Kin-GAP or FDPIR case number, the application must include the names of all household members, the amount and source of the income received by each household member and the signature and  corresponding Social Security number of an adult household member. If the household member who signs the application does not have a Social Security number, the household member must indicate on the application that a Social Security number is not available.