McKinney ISD
Free & Reduced Meals
Schools are required to serve meals at no charge to children whose household income is at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines. Children are entitled to pay a reduced price (a maximum of 40 cents for lunch, 30 cents for breakfast and 15 cents for a snack) if their household income is above 130 percent but at or below 185 percent of these guidelines. Children are automatically eligible for free school meals if their household receives food stamps, benefits under the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations or, in most cases, benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
Free and reduced price meal applications are available to all students throughout the year, and families can apply at any time using the online application OR paper application, although online applications are the preferred method, as they are usually much quicker and reduce dependence on paper. The online application can be accessed at: www.mckinneyisd.schoollunchapp.com/.
2022-2023 School Year
Children need healthy meals to learn. This school year, McKinney ISD will continue its partnership with the Texas Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Agriculture in providing healthy meals to the students at all grade levels and in all schools. Because Congress has not authorized funds for universal free meals to all students, McKinney ISD must transition back to application requirement for free and reduced-price school meals. Please note that if you received a notification letter that a child is “directly certified” for free or reduced-price meals, do not complete an application. Let the us know if any children in the household attending school are not listed in that letter by calling 469-302-6378.
Summer 2022 Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT)
Summer 2022 Pandemic-Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) provides food benefits for students who were certified as eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) at any point during the 2021-2022 school year or are newly certified over the summer. Newly certified students are those who submitted their household application for free or reduced-price meals (NSLP form) between August 1, 2022 and August 29, 2022 and were certified for NSLP for your school/district, or students who were new to the direct certification list during the same time period. These forms should be processed by the district no later than September 13. Students with forms submitted to schools after Monday, August 29 are not eligible for summer 2022 P-EBT benefits.
To verify student eligibility, public school districts and private schools need to upload 2021-2022 NSLP certified students as well as newly certified NSLP students to a secure Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) portal.
Free and Reduced Meal FAQs
Why are meals not totally free this year?
The provision to offer a free breakfast and a free lunch to all students and a free snack to all elementary students were program flexibilities provided by Congress and the USDA, who administers all the regulations and guidelines under which school meals are provided. The program flexibilities were meant to be temporary and were funded through COVID-19 assistance bills that were not extended further by the federal government. The choice as to whether to offer free meals this year was not a McKinney ISD decision or even Texas Department of Agriculture decision, but one made at the federal level.
Is there an online free and reduced application?
Yes, in addition to usually faster processing, the online application allows you to fill out the form anywhere you have internet access, and is even mobile-friendly. To access the application, click here: www.mckinneyisd.schoollunchapp.com/.
Are there alternatives to the online application?
Yes, paper applications are also available also at the following locations: each school’s front office, each school’s cafeteria, or the MISD food service office (510 Heard Street, McKinney, TX 75069). The paper application can be turned back in at any of those locations as well.
Parents can also call the School Nutrition office at 469-302-6378 and request an application be mailed to your home.
How will I know if my free and reduced price meal application was approved?
Parents will receive a letter by email notifying them of the application outcome. Please be sure to check your junk mail folder in case it is caught accidentally and flagged as junk. If an email was not provided, a letter will be mailed to the address given on the application.
How long does it take for applications to be processed?
McKinney ISD has up to 10 working days from the day your application is received. However, if you fill out your free and reduced application form online, it usually takes much less time. Instructions are provided on both the paper application and online version, but you can call 469-302-6378 if you have any questions.
What income is counted in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals?
In accordance with the Department of Agriculture’s policy as provided in the Food and Nutrition Service publication Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual, “income,” as the term is used in this Notice, means income before any taxes, Social Security taxes, insurance premiums, charitable contributions and bonds. It includes the following:
- Monetary compensation for services, including wages, salary, commissions or fees
- Net income from non-farm self-employment
- Net income from farm self–employment
- Social security Dividends or interest on savings or bonds or income from estates or trusts
- Net rental income
- Public assistance or welfare payments
- Unemployment compensation
- Government or civilian employee or military retirement, or pensions or veterans payments
- Private pensions or annuities
- Alimony or child support payments
- Regular contributions from persons not living in the household
- Net royalties
- Other cash income; includes cash amounts received or withdrawn from any source including savings, investments, trust accounts and other resources that would be available to pay the price of a child’s meal.
Who can I contact if I have questions about my free and reduced meal price application?
Please call us at 469-302-6378. We can answer any questions you may have about filling out the application form or any other questions throughout the process.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
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 here, 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; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected].
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
USDA Non-discrimination Statement (Spanish)
Para todos los demás programas de asistencia de nutrición del FNS, agencias estatales o locales y sus subreceptores, deben publicar la siguiente Declaración de No Discriminación: De acuerdo con la ley federal de derechos civiles y las normas y políticas de derechos civiles del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA), esta entidad está prohibida de discriminar por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo (incluyendo identidad de género y orientación sexual), discapacidad, edad, o represalia o retorsión por actividades previas de derechos civiles. La información sobre el programa puede estar disponible en otros idiomas que no sean el inglés. Las personas con discapacidades que requieren medios alternos de comunicación para obtener la información del programa (por ejemplo, Braille, letra grande, cinta de audio, lenguaje de señas americano (ASL), etc.) deben comunicarse con la agencia local o estatal responsable de administrar el programa o con el Centro TARGET del USDA al (202) 720-2600 (voz y TTY) o comuníquese con el USDA a través del Servicio Federal de Retransmisión al (800) 877-8339.
Para presentar una queja por discriminación en el programa, el reclamante debe llenar un formulario AD-3027, formulario de queja por discriminación en el programa del USDA, el cual puede obtenerse en línea en: documento, de cualquier oficina de USDA, llamando al (866) 632-9992, o escribiendo una carta dirigida a USDA. La carta debe contener el nombre del demandante, la dirección, el número de teléfono y una descripción escrita de la acción discriminatoria alegada con suficiente detalle para informar al Subsecretario de Derechos Civiles (ASCR) sobre la naturaleza y fecha de una presunta violación de derechos civiles. El formulario AD-3027 completado o la carta debe presentarse a USDA por: (1) correo: 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 o (202) 690-7442; o (3) correo electrónico: [email protected].
Esta entidad es un proveedor que brinda igualdad de oportunidades.
Need Help?
If you need additional assistance with the content on this page, please contact McKinney ISD team member Ana Castillo by phone at 469-302-6378 or by email here .