Parents and guardians are encouraged to apply for the confidential Free & Reduced Price Meals program, which provides free meals for all qualifying children.
This program also benefits students beyond nutritious meals: participation may also provide them with fee waivers for tests, applications, scholarships and programs, including College in the High School courses. A tuition waiver for these courses, offered through Schenectady County Community College (SCCC), means students don’t have to pay for those college credits earned in high school.
Parents and guardians are also reminded that even if their children qualified last year for the Free and Reduced Price Meals program, they must apply each school year. One application covers all children in a household, and once approved, children receive free meals for the entire school year, regardless of whether their family’s financial situation changes. The program is confidential for students and their families.
And as of last year, all children from households meeting income guidelines for the program and whose parents/guardians apply receive free meals, with New York State covering the $0.25 cost of reduced price breakfast and lunch that was previously paid by the student.
Parents/guardians can apply at any time during the year, and income guidelines are updated annually. Detailed information and applications are available on this website and are also sent to student households along with back-to-school information from each principal.
Questions? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions webpage or contact Food Services Manager Mary Jewell, (518) 895-2279, ext. 228.