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Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD announced its policy today for providing free and reduced-price meals for children served under the attached current income eligibility guidelines. Each school kitchen and the Student Nutrition Office has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by
anyone on request.
Starting on August 7, 2026, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD will begin providing letters to the households of the children in the district about the 2026-2027 eligibility benefits and any actions households need to take to apply for these benefits. Applications have become available online and may be accessed by visiting www.schoolcafe.com or the School Café mobile phone application. Paper applications will only be available at www.cfbisd.edu/nutrition. No applications
will be mailed to households.
The application will determine a child’s eligibility for free and reduced-price meals. Only one application needs to be completed per household. Schools will notify the household of the child’s eligibility. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) administers school nutrition programs in Texas. Decisions regarding payment for school meals are made at the national-government level, not by the district, district’s Student Nutrition Department, or TDA. The dedicated staff at Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD is looking forward to serving healthy, balanced meals to students in the new school year. These meals, whether paid, free, or reduced-price, offer a good source of nutrition for children.
Criteria for Free and Reduced-Price Meal Benefits
The following criteria will be used to determine a child’s eligibility for free or reduced-price meal benefits:
Income
1. Household income that is at or below the income eligibility levels
Categorical or Automatic Eligibility
2. Households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
Program Participant
3. Child’s status as a foster child, homeless, runaway, migrant, or displaced by a declared disaster
4. Child’s enrollment in Head Start or Even Start
Income Eligibility
For those households that qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on income, an adult in the household must complete and submit the online free and reduced-price meal application at www.schoolcafe.com or the School Café mobile phone application or by filling out the paper, free and reduced-price meal application and returning it to the Meal Benefits Clerk located in the Student Nutrition Office at 1505 Randolph St. Carrollton, Texas 75006. Those individuals filling out the application will need to provide the following information:
1. Names of all household members
2. Amount, frequency, and source of current income for each household member
3. Last 4 digits of the Social Security number of the adult household member who signs the application or, if the adult does not have a social security number, check the box for “Check if no SSN”
4. Signature of an adult household member attesting that the information provided is correct
Categorical or Program Eligibility
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD is working with local agencies to identify all children who are categorically and program eligible. Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD will notify the households of these children that they do not need to complete an application. Any household that does not receive a letter and feels it should have should contact the Meal Benefits Clerk in Student Nutrition Office at 972.968.6390.
Any household that wishes to decline benefits should contact the Meal Benefits Clerk as well. Applications may be submitted anytime during the school year. The information provided by households on the application will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility. Applications may also be verified by school officials at any time during the school year.
Determining Eligibility
Under the provisions of the free and reduced-price meal policy, the Meal Benefits Clerk will review applications and determine eligibility. Households or guardians dissatisfied with the Reviewing Official’s eligibility determination may wish to discuss the decision with the Reviewing Official on an informal basis. Households wishing to make a formal appeal for a hearing on the decision may
make a request either orally or in writing to Kristen Hess Saunders MS, RD, LD, SNS, CTSBO, Director of Student Nutrition at 1505 Randolph Street, Carrollton, Texas 75006 at 972.968.6390.
The following letters and applications are available online:
Unexpected Circumstances
If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size increases, the household should contact the Student Nutrition Office at 972.968.6390. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for benefits if the household’s income falls at or below the attached current income eligibility guidelines.
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, 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 at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, 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; or
2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email: Program.Intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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