Child Nutrition

2023-24 FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEAL APPLICATION

The online Free and Reduced-Price meal application only takes a few minutes and can be completed using your smartphone, tablet, or computer.  A new application must be submitted for the current school year.

If you have received notification from Child Nutrition Services that your student (s) been DIRECTLY CERTIFIED (DCRT) for Free or Reduced-Price meals, no application is required.   However, households that receive Basic Food, Medicaid, TANF or FDIPIR benefits, that have NOT received a DCRT letter from Child Nutrition Services, should fill out the free and reduced-price meal application.

Families are notified by mail when their application has been processed. 

NOTE: Due to connectivity issues on some mobile and wireless devices, Child Nutrition Services may not receive your completed application.  You will receive a "Batch Number" (confirmation number) when your application has successfully been submitted. If you do not receive a confirmation number, please re-submit your application.

If you don’t qualify now, but your circumstances change, households may apply at any time throughout the school year.  

FAQ:  How do I complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meal application if I have students attending a school where all students receive free breakfast and lunch and a school where they are charging for meals?

It is important that you include ALL of your household members on the meal application.  Add all of students to the application in the following way:

• Students attending schools that are not serving free meals should be added to the meal application in the “student” section. 
• Include the students that are attending a CEP school (serving free meals to all students) in the “household members” section of the F/R application.

For questions or assistance, contact Child Nutrition Services during regular business hours 7:00-4:00 p.m. at 253-800-3912. 

Additional Languages Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application

The online application is available in English or Spanish.  Click the dropdown arrow to change languages.  La solicitud en línea está disponible en inglés o español. Haga clic en la flecha desplegable para cambiar de idioma.

For Free and Reduced-Price Meal applications in additional languages, please visit: 

https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/translated-applications 

Fee Discounts and Waivers

If a student qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, they may be eligible for decreased fees to participate in other school programs.  To receive discounts automatically for these programs, parents/guardians must consent to release their student’s free and reduced-price meal (FRM) status internally to the district’s point of sale system (In-Touch) which will automatically adjust fees to the discounted prices. This will work for in-person and online transactions. Parents/guardians must indicate each program that they consent to share FRM eligibility for to receive the discounted fee or waiver.

• ASB Fees - ASB cards, events, entrance fees, and individual or family annual athletic passes
• Athletics - Pay-to-play sports fees
• Course Fees - AP Tests, credit retrieval, and instrument rentals
• iPad Insurance Coverage

Providing this consent is OPTIONAL and does not affect your child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.

NOTE:  It is important that you complete the FRM application and give consent to share BEFORE you pay your district fees.  It takes 24 hours for prices to adjust in the system.

Fill out the Family Income Survey Here

CEP schools must now have a way to identify children from households that are at or below the federal poverty level since the free and reduced-price meal application is not required at these schools.    This will ensure that your student receives the appropriate fee discounts and waivers that they are eligible for and that your child’s school will continue to get the full amount of federal and state funding available.

Important:  Please complete this form as soon as possible.  All families that have a student attending a CEP school must complete this survey.

School Funding

There are certain state funded programs (all-day kindergarten, learning assistance program, teacher incentives, and K-3 poverty) that are given to your child’s school based on income levels of households for students attending your school. This is why it is so important for you to return this information to your school.

Fee Discounts and Waivers

If your household income falls into the range that would have qualified your student to receive free or reduced-price meals, they may be eligible for decreased fees to participate in other school programs. To receive discounts automatically for these programs, you may consent to release your household income internally to the District’s point of sale system (In-Touch) which will automatically adjust fees to the discounted prices. This will work for in-person and online transactions. You must indicate each program that you consent to share your family’s income for in order to receive the associated discounted fee(s) or waiver(s).

• ASB Fees - ASB cards, events, entrance fees, and individual or family annual athletic passes
• Athletics - Pay-to-play sports fees
• Course Fees - AP Tests, credit retrieval, and instrument rentals
• iPad Insurance Coverage

Your household income will only be shared with designated administrators and bookkeepers for the sole purpose of providing fee discounts and waivers.

NOTE:  It is important that you complete this form and give consent to share BEFORE you pay your district fees.  It takes 24 hours for prices to adjust in the system.

Direct Certification (DCRT) for the Free or Reduced-Price Meal (FRM) Program is an electronic match between DSHS data and Bethel School District's enrollment records.  This matching process produces a “Direct Certification List”.  School districts can use this list to “directly certify” students for free or reduced-price meals without families completing the free and reduced-price meal application. This system identifies children enrolled in Basic Food, TANF, migrant, and Foster Care as automatically eligible for free meals. It also identifies children enrolled in Medicaid to receive either free or reduced-price meals.   Families whose children are directly certified for free or reduced-price meals will receive a notification letter from Child Nutrition Services.

If one student in a household qualifies for free or reduced-price meals under the Direct Certification match, eligibility for free or reduced-price meal benefits may be extended to ALL students living in the household. If you have additional students living in your household whose names were not included on the letter you received from Child Nutrition Services,  call our office at 253-800-3912 to make sure all students in your household are enrolled in the program.  

If your student(s) were Directly Certified for free or reduced-price meals, they may be eligible for decreased fees to participate in other school programs.  To automatically receive reduced fees, you must consent to share your child(ren)'s free or reduced eligibility internally to the district’s point of sale system (In-Touch) which will adjust fees to the discounted prices. This will work for in-person and online transactions. Only designated administrators and bookkeepers will be informed of your student's FRM eligibility for the sole purpose of providing additional financial assistance and support.  Providing this consent is OPTIONAL and does not affect your child(ren)'s eligibility for FRM, but is necessary if you wish to receive available discounts.
 
You must indicate each program that you consent to share FRM eligibility to receive discounted fees or waivers. 

To consent to share your 

 
ASB Fees - ASB cards, events, entrance fees, and individual or family annual athletic passes
Athletics - Pay-to-play sports fees
Course Fees - AP Tests, credit retrieval, and instrument rentals
Technology - iPad Coverage  

NOTE:  It is important that you complete the  CONSENT TO SHARE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION  and give consent to share BEFORE you pay your district fees.  It takes 24 hours for prices to adjust in the system.

Meal prices for the 2023-24 school year

Breakfast Prices                         

Elementary: $2.15
Middle School: $2.15
High School: $2.30
Adult: $3.00

Lunch Prices                                            

Elementary: $3.50
Middle School: $3.50
High School: $4.00
Adult: $4.75

Milk Prices

*Milk: $.65

*Individual milks can be purchased a la carte.   Milk only is not free at schools participating in the free meal programs.

Online payments can be made using our electronic payment service, PayPams, online or via their downloadable apps for Apple and android phones.

PayPams

Food Allergies

Contact our office at 253.800.3912 for more information.

Wellness Policy

Nationally, there has been much attention focused on the health of our children. As the number of overweight and poorly nourished children begins to climb, school districts throughout the county have developed “wellness policies” to address the health of their students. Research demonstrates that the healthier our students are, the more prepared they are to learn.

Bethel School District, with input from parents, students, staff and community members, has established guidelines for physical activity, nutrition and health education, which will affect all of our students and schools. These guidelines set standards for the kinds of foods offered in school, minimum requirements for student physical activity offered during the school day, as well as guidelines for nutrition and health education.

Board Policy 6700

Procedure 6700PR

Smart Snacks

Nutrition standards for “All Food Sold in Schools”

All foods and beverages sold during the school day must meet federal nutrition criteria. “Smart Snacks in School” regulations went into effect July 1, 2014. Child Nutrition Services is here to help! If you have any questions regarding Smart Snacks, please call the CNO Field Supervisor, Joel Latiolais, at 253.800.3918. 

All Foods - Beverages

All Foods - Flyers

All Foods - Fundraiser

Beverages Guidelines

K12 Competitive Food Trainings

Smart Snacks Memo

Smart Snacks Calculator

Additional Links

American Dietetic Association

Dole "5 a Day" Fruits & Vegetables

Florida Juice

My Plate Website

Washington School Nutrition Association

Washington State Dairy Council

You may have recently received a P-EBT card in the mail.  It is possible that you were not expecting it.

P-EBT cards were issued to every student enrolled in a school that participated in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) during the 2022-23 school year.  This includes many of our schools.

The P-EBT program is run by Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), not by the school district. 

If you have questions about the P-EBT program, please visit: Washington P-EBT or call the P-EBT Hotline at 1-833-518-0282.