The William S. Hart Union High School District announces its policy to serve nutritious meals every school day under the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program. Effective July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018, children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals if the household income is less than or equal to the federal guidelines.

Households do not need to turn in an application when the household receives a notification letter saying that all children automatically qualify for free meals when any household member receives benefits from CalFresh/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), CalWORKs/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Food Distribution Program Indian Reservations (FDPIR). Children who meet the definition of foster, homeless, migrant, or runaway are eligible for free meals. Contact the district official, Carolyn McMahon, at cmcmahon@hartdistrict.org if any WSHUHSD student
in the household is not listed on the notification letter. The household must let the district official know if they do not want to receive free or reduced-price meals.

Households that did not receive the eligibility notice from school officials and would like to apply for meal benefits must submit a complete free and reduced-price meal application to determine a child’s eligibility.

Meal applications are distributed to all WSHUHSD student households with a letter informing parents or guardians of the availability of free and reduced-price meals. To apply, households must complete one application for all WSHUHSD students in the household and submit it to your child’s school or the WSHUHSD ATTN: Carolyn McMahon, 21380 Centre Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita, CA. 91350 for processing. Additional copies are available at your child’s school office, at the WSHUHSD office, or you may download a copy online at www.hartdistrict.org (located under the “Students” dropdown menu, Breakfast/Lunch Program prompt). The district official will let you know via mail if your application is approved or denied for free or reduced-price meals.

Households may turn in a meal application at any time during the school year. If you are not eligible now, but your household income goes down, household size goes up, or a household member starts receiving CalFresh/SNAP, CalWORKs/TANF, or FDPIR you may turn in an application at that time. Information given on the application will be used to determine eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by school officials. The last four digits of the Social Security number from any adult household or checking that you do not have a Social Security number is required if you include income on the application.

Households that receive Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals by filling out a meal application.

Foster children are eligible for free meals and may be included as a household member if the foster family chooses to also apply for the non-foster children on the same meal application. Including foster children as a household member may help the non-foster children in the household qualify for free or reduced-price meals. If the non-foster children are not eligible, this does not keep foster children from receiving free meals.

For returning WSHUHSD students, your child’s eligibility status from the 2016-17 school year will continue into the new school year for up to 30 school days or until the district processes your new meal application or your child is otherwise certified for free or reduced-price meals. After the 30 school days, your child will have to pay full price for meals, unless the household receives a notification letter for free or reduced-price meals. School officials do not have to send reminder or expired eligibility notices.

If you do not agree with the decision or results of verification, you may discuss it with district officials. You also have the right to a fair hearing, which may be requested by calling 661-259-0033 or writing the hearing official: WSHUHSD, ATTN: Chief Financial Officer, 21380 Centre Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.

The USDA, CDE and WSHUHSD are equal opportunity providers and employers.