School meal prices aren’t what they used to be, but they don’t have to cost a fortune either.

The Texas Department of Agriculture updates its eligibility guidelines for awarded free and reduced meal prices every year, adjusting the cost of students’ breakfast and lunch to fit low-to-moderate incomes.

For families that meet the guidelines — which uniformly apply to each school district in the state — students can get lunch for $0.40 and breakfast for $0.30 on the reduced plan or both meals for free.

To qualify for a price reduction on student meals, families have to meet at least one of three criteria:

• Household income at or below the school year’s eligibility guidelines, copies of which are available at each school and district office in the state for review
• Household receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
• Child’s status as a foster child, homeless, runaway, migrant or displaced by a declared disaster

For families that qualify for free or reduced meals based on income, an adult living with the students must fill out the free and reduced-price meal application and return it to the school or the district the student attends.

Anyone filling out an application will have to provide:

• Names of all household members
• Amount, frequency and source of current income for each household member
• Last four digits of the Social Security number of the adult who fills out and signs the application, or identify on the application, “I do not have a Social Security number”

Each public school and district central office will have copies for the free and reduced-price meal applications, as well as Texas Department of Agriculture guidelines, available on request.

NEDERLAND ISD

Regular student meal prices at the Nederland Independent School District are $1.25 for breakfast, $2.35 for lunch at elementary schools, $2.45 for lunch at middle schools and $2.70 at Nederland High School.

Applications for free and reduced-price meals should be picked up in Child Nutrition Director T. René Bodden’s office at 220 17^th St. in Nederland.

For more information, call Bodden at (409) 724-2991 ext. 1226 or email tbodden@nederland.k12.tx.us.

PORT ARTHUR ISD

Regular student meals at the Port Arthur Independent School District are free, but Director of Child Nutrition John Constancio said each family should fill out an application so the district can document the number of households that qualify for free and reduced-price meals.

Applications should be picked up in Constancio’s office at 4801 Ninth Ave. in Port Arthur.

For more information, call Constancio at (409) 989-6124.

PORT NECHES-GROVES ISD

Regular student breakfasts at the Port Neches-Groves Independent School District are $1.25 for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students and $1.35 for sixth grade through 12^th grade students.

Regular lunch prices are $2 for pre-k through third grade, $2.25 for fourth and fifth grades, and $2.50 for sixth through 12 grade.

Applications for free and reduced-price meals should be picked up in Child Nutrition Director Melissa Nunnelly’s office at 5840 W. Jefferson in Groves.

For more information, call Nunnelly at (409) 962-1017 ext. 5550 or email mnunnelly@pngisd.org.

 

SABINE PASS ISD

Regular student breakfasts at the Sabine Pass Independent School District are $1 for pre-k through fifth grade and $1.50 for sixth grade through 12^th grade.

Regular lunch prices are $2.50 for pre-k through fifth grade and $2.75 for sixth grade through 12^th grade.

Applications for free and reduced-price meals should be picked up at the SPISD Administration Office at 5641 S. Gulfway Drive in Sabine Pass.

For more information, call Maureen Pierce at (409) 971-2321.

Twitter: @crhenderson90