he Claremont Unified School District has announced its policy for free and reduced-price meals for children served under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.

Each school has a copy of the full policy, which may be reviewed by anyone who is interested. Following are a few numbers to give families an idea of whether they qualify.  Children qualify for free lunch if they hail from a family of 3 with an annual income of $25,389 or less or from a family of 4 with an annual income of $30,615 or less. For each additional family member, $5,226 is added to the amount of annual income allowed. 

Children qualify for reduced lunch if they hail from a family of 3 with an annual income of $36,131 or less or from a family of 4 with an annual income of $43,568 or less. For each additional family member, $7,437 is added to the amount of annual income allowed.     

Children who receive Food Stamps, CalWorks, Kinship Guardian Assistance Payments (Kin-Gap) or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations benefits are automatically eligble for free meals, regardless of household income. Eligibility for a foster child is based on a separate application and solely on the amount of the child’s “personal use” income.

Families who wish to participate in the free or reduced meal program must complete an application, which may be submitted at any time during the school year, and return it to their student’s school for processing.

For information, contact Claremont Unified School District Food Services at 398-0358.