Starting this school year, our district is proud to offer one free breakfast and one free lunch per day to all students, regardless of family income, thanks to the New York State Universal Free Meals Program. This is a tremendous benefit for every family and a major step toward ensuring all students are nourished and ready to learn.
However, we are reaching out to all families today with a crucial message: Even though meals are free for everyone, filling out the Free and Reduced-Price Meal (FRPL) Eligibility Form is more important than ever.
Since the cost of meals has been eliminated for all students, we are seeing a significant drop in the number of families completing the necessary paperwork. As a district, we want to be clear: failing to complete this confidential form could cause families and the school district to miss out on millions of dollars in aid and critical services.
The Direct Benefits for Your Student and Family
The FRPL application provides essential data that unlocks a wide array of support programs and savings for your family that extend far beyond the cafeteria. Eligibility for free or reduced-price meals can provide:
Summer EBT Card Benefits: Potential eligibility for summer Electronic Benefit Transfer card benefits.
Academic and Activity Fee Reductions: Reduced or waived costs for things like lab fees, sports fees, field trips, and activity fees.
Testing and College Savings: Reduced or waived fees for SAT and Advanced Placement exams, as well as fees for college applications.
Scholarship Eligibility: Eligibility toward certain college scholarships.
Local Support Programs: Eligibility for community programs such as SnackPack and Holiday Cheer.
Assistant Superintendent Mark Mambretti notes that in today's environment, "every little bit helps every family."
The Critical Benefits for Our Schools and Community
The number of eligible families who complete the FRPL form is used by the state and federal government as a key metric to determine funding for our entire district. This funding is essential for keeping programs strong and for easing the burden on local taxpayers.
Foundation Aid: The number of eligible students is a core factor in the formula the state uses to determine how much Foundation Aid the district receives. Currently, this amounts to millions of dollars annually. As Mr. Mambretti explains, “Our state aid is millions of dollars, so adjusting a number that goes into the formula by a percent here and there has exponential impact.”
Federal Grants: Eligibility numbers also determine our district’s access to vital federal funding, including Title I(A) (which helps pay the salaries of Academic Support teachers for ELA and math) and E-Rate funding (which provides significant discounts for telecommunications, internet access, and internal network connections).
Grant Writing: The data is used to secure additional government and private grants for various school initiatives.
To ensure dignity and privacy for all students, the district previously implemented a cashless system where all students use a four-digit PIN—a measure that successfully reduced the stigma around meal payment. This commitment to discretion is upheld with the FRPL application process, as the eligibility is kept confidential.
Our Call to Action
We urge every family to take a few minutes and complete the confidential Free and Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility form this year. Even if you think you may not qualify, we encourage you to apply. If your family situation changes during the school year, you should apply at that point as well.
Completing the application helps your student and strengthens our entire community. As Mr. Mambretti concludes, "The hope is the more accurate the data we can capture will lead to an increase in family, community, and district benefits, all while shifting the burden to fund these programs away from local taxpayers.”
Ready to apply? This year’s family income thresholds, application forms, and other information can be found on the district’s website here.
Questions? Families are also welcome to contact Assistant Superintendent Mark Mambretti directly at mmambretti@eak12.org or by calling 716-687-2306.