The Chandler Unified School District will be participating in the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program.

As part of these programs, CUSD will offer meals every school day. Breakfast will cost $2.25 and lunch will cost $3.25 for elementary, $3.50 for junior high, and $3.75 for high school students.

Children might qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Free and reduced-price meals are at no cost for breakfast and for lunch during the 2023-2024 school year.

Qualifications for children to receive free or reduced-price meals include: belonging to a household whose income is at or below the Federal Income Eligibility guidelines, belonging to a household that receives public assistance, or if the child is homeless, migrant, runaway, foster, or participates in a Head Start or Even Start pre-Kindergarten program.

Household size and income criteria are used to determine eligibility for free and reduced-price benefits if the household does not receive assistance or the children are not in the other categories mentioned above. Children can get free or reduced-price meals if the household’s gross income falls at or below the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility guideline chart.

To apply for free or reduced-price meals, households can fill out the application and return it to the school unless the household has already received notification that their children are approved for free meals this year.

Application forms are being distributed to all households with a letter informing households of the availability of free and reduced-price meals for their children.

Applications also are available on the CUSD Food and Nutrition website or at the central kitchen located at 555 S. Pennington Drive.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org