School lunches must meet the applicable recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend that no more than 30 percent of an individual's calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. Regulations also establish a standard for school lunches to provide one‐third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories. School lunches must meet Federal nutrition requirements, but decisions about what specific foods to serve and how they are prepared are made by local school food authorities.

If your child has a severe food allergy, you should schedule a meeting with your school nurse and food service representative for the school. The USDA has issued policy guidance for schools outlined in FNS Instruction 783-2, Revision 2, Meal Substitutions for Medical or Other Special Dietary Reasons. The nature of your child's food allergy, the reason the allergy prevents the child from eating the regular school meal, and the specific substitutions needed must be specified in a statement signed by a licensed physician. Monthly meetings or calls with the school staff are recommended to ensure your child’s food allergy plan is on target. It is your responsibility to update the school staff about any changes that are occurring to your child’s dietary needs. 

Free meals are available to all students. Families are not required to submit a free and reduced-price meal application to participate at this time, but submitting an alternative income form may help students and families qualify for additional programs and resources.

In addition, this will help our schools ensure they receive the appropriate funding from the California Department of Education based on the information you provide. A portion of every school's funding and other resources are determined by the needs of its students. 

One family's qualification and/or participation does not take away from another family's option to qualify.

Based on eligibility, this funding supports:

• Title I funds – Counseling, Intervention, and Reading/Math support.
• Title II funds – Professional Development for all staff.
• Title III funds – Immigration and English Learner students.
• Supplemental Funds – Intervention, Teacher Aides, Counseling Services, Psychologist Services, Community Liaisons, Software Licenses for students, Teacher Instructional Support, and Instructional Materials.

Anyone can apply! Online Alternative Household Income applications can be found at: https://linqconnect.com/public/income-form/new?identifier=FD2FM2

Thank you for your participation in this important funding initiative!