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Letter to Households

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Walla Walla Public Schools
 
Dear Parent/Guardian:

Our school district is participating in a federal program available to select schools as part of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program called Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This means that all students attending Walla Walla Public Schools are eligible to receive one breakfast and one lunch at free of charge each school day throughout the 2025-26 school year, regardless of family or household income. However, some of the education programs the district provides are funded from state dollars that require our school to collect household information for all students attending CEP schools. Completing the Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit Application may qualify you for: Summer EBT benefits, reduced fees for other programs and activities, and help secure funding for your child’s school.

Applications are available as part of the annual student checklist.

Be sure to submit ONLY ONE application per household. We will notify you if the application is approved or denied via letter or ParentSquare. Denied applications will continue to receive free meals under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). If any child you are applying for is homeless (McKinney-Vento), or migrant, check the appropriate box.

What counts as income? Who is considered a member of my household?

Look at the income chart below. Find your household size. Find your total household income. If members in the household are paid at different times during the month and you are unsure if your household is eligible, fill out an application and we will determine your income eligibility for you. The information you give will be used to determine your child's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.

Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals regardless of personal use income.

USDA Child Nutrition Program Income Guidelines
Effective July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026

Household Size

Annual

Monthly

Twice Per Month

Every Two Weeks

Weekly

1

$28,953

$2,413

$1,207

$1,114

$557

2

$39,128

$3,261

$1,631

$1,505

$753

3

$49,303

$4,109

$2,055

$1,897

$949

4

$59,478

$4,957

$2,479

$2,288

$1,144

5

$69,653

$5,805

$2,903

$2,679

$1,340

6

$79,828

$6,653

$3,327

$3,071

$1,536

7

$90,003

$7,501

$3,751

$3,462

$1,731

8

$100,178

$8,349

$4,175

$3,853

$1,927

For each add’l family member, add:

$10,175

$848

$424

$392

$196

HOUSEHOLD is defined as all persons, including parents, children, grandparents, and all people related or unrelated who live in your home and share living expenses. If applying for a household with a foster child, you may include the foster child in the total household size.

HOUSEHOLD INCOME is considered to be the income each household member received before taxes. This includes wages, social security, pension, unemployment, welfare, child support, alimony, and any other cash income. If including a foster child as part of the household, you must also include the foster child’s personal income. Do not report foster payments as income.

What must be on the application?

  1. For households not getting any assistance:

  • Student name(s)
  • Names of all household members
  • Income by source for all household members
  • Adult household member's signature
  • Last 4 digits of social security number of the adult household member who signs the application (or if the adult signing does not have a social security number, check the associated box).

Complete Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5; Part 6 is optional.

  1. For households with only foster child(ren)

  • Student’s name
  • Adult household member signature

Complete Parts 1 and 5; Part 6 is optional. You may also send the school a copy of the court documentation showing the foster child(ren) was/were placed with you instead of filling out an application form.

Last 4 digits of SSN are not required for B.

  1. For a family getting Basic Food/TANF/FDPIR:

  • List all student names
  • Enter a case number
  • Adult household member's signature

Complete Parts 1, 2, 4, and 5. Part 6 is optional.
Last 4 digits of SSN are not required for C.

  1. For household with a foster child(ren) and other children:

Apply as a household and include foster children. Follow the directions for “A. For households not getting any assistance:” and include the foster child’s personal use income.

What if I’m not receiving basic food dollars?

If you have been approved for Basic Food but do not actually receive Basic Food dollars, you may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. You must apply for meal benefits by completing the Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit Application.

Do my children automatically qualify if they have a case number?

Yes. Children on TANF or Basic Food may get free meals and children receiving some Medicaid benefits may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals without the household having to complete an application. These children are identified by the school using a data matching process. This matched list is then made available to your child’s school food service staff. The students on this list get free meals if their schools have the free and reduced-price breakfast and/or lunch program (not all schools do). Please contact us immediately if you feel your children should be receiving free meals and are not. If you do not want your child to participate in the free meal programs using this method, please notify the school.

If anyone in my household has a case number, will all children qualify for free meals?
Yes. If someone else in the household has a case number, other than a foster child, you must fill out an application and send it to your student’s school. Please contact us immediately if you feel other children in your household should be receiving free meals and are not.

Basic Food - Can I qualify for assistance in buying food?

Basic Food is the state’s food stamp program. It helps households make ends meet by providing monthly benefits to buy food. Getting Basic Food is easy! You can apply in person at the local DSHS Community Service Office, by mail, or online. There are other benefits too. You can learn about Basic Food by calling 1-877-501-2233 or by logging on to https://www.dshs.wa.gov/esa/community-services-offices/basic-food.

We are in the military. Do we report our income differently?

Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, it must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.

My child’s application was approved last year. Do I need to fill out a new one?

Yes. Your child’s application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year. You must send in a new application unless the Nutrition Services Department communicated that your child is eligible for the new school year.

What if some household members have no income to report?

Household members may not receive some types of income we ask you to report on the application, or may not receive income at all. Whenever this happens, please write a 0 in the field. However, if any income fields are left empty or blank, those will also be counted as zeroes. Please be careful when leaving income fields blank, as we will assume you meant to do so.

Health Coverage

To inquire about or apply for health care coverage for kids in your family, please visit http://www.wahealthplanfinder.org or you may call Washington Health Plan Finder at 1-855-923-4633.

What if my child needs special foods?

If your child needs special foods, contact the Nutrition Services Department at 360-526-1879.

Fair Hearing

If you do not agree with the decision on your child's application or the process used to prove income eligibility, you may talk with Chris Gardea, the fair hearing official. You have the right to a fair hearing which may be arranged by calling the school/school district at this number 509-527-3000.

Reapplication

You may apply for benefits any time during the school year. If you should have a decrease in household income, an increase in household size, or become unemployed, or receive Basic Food, TANF, or FDPIR, you may be eligible for benefits and may fill out an application at that time.

USDA Non-Discrimination

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

  3. email:
    Program.Intake@usda.gov

 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.