OSD Free and Reduced Lunch Program Application Now Available Online

By Talbert Toole
Lifestyles Editor
talbert.toole@hottytoddy.com
Oxford School District (OSD) students are now able to participate in the district’s free and reduced lunch program for the 2018-2019 school year. Parents of OSD students must complete an application before students can participate in the lunch program, which is now available online or on paper in the Child Nutrition Office located on Washington Avenue. 
The application is especially important for 7th-12th graders who need a waiver for the district’s $75 technology fee, which is assessed for MacBook laptops at the annual “Meet Your Mac event” July 23-27. Parents must complete the application and qualify for the free or reduced lunch program in order to receive a waiver, according to the OSD.
“If any family needs assistance with the application, our office is here to help,” said OSD Child Nutrition Director Dan Westmoreland. “We have computers available and also paper copies in multiple languages to accommodate our families.”
There are two ways to qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch program:
• If you currently receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or if you have a foster child, your child is eligible for free meals as long as you receive these benefits.
• If your household income meets eligibility guidelines, your child can eat free or at a reduced price of 40 cents a day for lunch. Click here to view the 2018-2019 income eligibility guidelines.
Only one application is needed per household for the program. Online applications will be processed by the OSD Child Nutrition office. Parents will receive a notification with the results of their application in a timely manner, according to the OSD.
New applicants will be responsible for paying full prices for lunch—$3 per day per child—until their application has been processed. Any application completed prior to July 1, 2018, does not qualify. 
For more information, visit www.oxfordsd.org/FreeReducedLunch or call the Child Nutrition Office at (662) 234-3541.