Chartwell's Letter to The Community

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Children need healthy meals to learn. Harrison Community Schools offers healthy meals every school day. Students may buy lunch for $1.50/$1.75 with breakfast for FREE To All Students. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. We sell reduced price lunches for $.40. If a doctor has determined that your child has a disability, and the disability would prevent the child from eating the regular school meal, the school will make any substitution prescribed by a licensed physician at no extra charge. The physician's statement, including prescribed diet and/or substitution, must be submitted to the food service department at your school. For further information, please call Lacie Curns, Director of Dining Services at (989) 539-7202.

1. Do I need to fill out an application for each child? No. Complete the application to apply for free and reduced price school meals. Use one Free and Reduced Price School Meals Family Application for all students in your house-hold. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Return the completed application to: Harrison Food Service at 710 S. Fifth Street, Harrison, MI 48625 Attn: Food Service Department..

 Click HERE for the Form

2. Who can get free meals? Children in households getting Food Assistance Program (FAP), Family Independence Program (FIP), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and most foster children can get free meals regardless of your income. Also, your children can get free meals if your household income is within the free limits on the Federal Income Guidelines.

3. Can homeless, runaway, and migrant children get free meals? Please call Tom House, Superintendent of Harrison Community Schools at (989) 630-5000, homeless liaison or migrant coordinator to see if your child(ren) qualify if you have not been informed that they will get free meals.

4. Who can get reduced price meals? Your children can get low cost meals if your household income is within the reduced price limits on the Federal Income Guidelines Chart.

5. Should I fill out an application if I got a letter this school year saying my children are approved for free or reduced price meals? Please read the letter you got carefully and follow any instructions if provided. Call the school at (989) 539-7202 if you have questions.

6. My child’s application was approved last year. Do I need to fill out another one? Yes. Your child’s application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year. You must send in a new application unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year.

7. I get WIC. Can my child(ren) get free meals? Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced price meals. An application must be filled out by WIC households.

8. Will the information I give be checked? Yes, we may ask you to send written proof of any information provided on the application.

9. If I don’t qualify now, may I apply later? Yes. You may apply at any time during the school year if your house-hold size goes up, income goes down, or if you start getting FAP, FIP, FDPIR, or other benefits. If you lose your job, your children may be able to get free or reduced price meals.

10. What if I disagree with the school’s decision about my application? You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to: Harrison Community Schools, 710 South 5th Street, Harrison, Michigan 48625.

11. May I apply if someone in my household is not a U.S. citizen? Yes. You or your child(ren) do not have to be a U.S. citizen to qualify for free or reduced price meals.

12. Who should I include as members of my household? You must include all people living in your household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relative, or friends), including yourself and all children who live with you.

13. What if my income is not always the same? List the amount that you normally get. For example, if you normally get $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only got $900, put down that you get $1000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but not if you get it only sometimes.
14. We are in the military. Do we include our housing allowance as income? If your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. All other allowances must be included in your gross income.

15. What if my child does not have health insurance? Your children may qualify for low cost or free health insurance through MIChild and Healthy Kids Program. To apply online, go to www.michigan.gov/michild or call 1-888-988-6300 for help or to request a paper application.

16. My spouse is deployed to a combat zone. Is her combat pay counted as income? No, if the combat pay is received in addition to her basic pay because of her deployment and it wasn’t received before she was deployed, combat pay is not counted as income. Contact your school for more information.

17. My family needs more help. Are there other programs we might apply for? To find out how to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or call 1-800-481-4989.

Sincerely,
Lacie Curns, Director of Dining Services for Harrison Community Schools (989) 539-7202

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Dear Parent/Guardian,

Thank you for taking the time to read about our the food service program. We are extremely happy to help your child(ren), in every way we can, and to teach them about healthy nutrition. Our new changes will involve the following:

Breakfast and Lunch Prices:
     Elementary Breakfast: FREE
     Elementary Lunch: $1.50 / Reduced: $ .40
     Middle and High Breakfast: FREE
     Middle and High Lunch: $1.75/ Reduced: $ .40
     A la carte milk (even if you qualify for free or reduced meals): $ .35
     A POS System will be used for both breakfast and lunch. This system will allow you to send one check for
     prepayment of all your students’ school meals, rather than one check for each student. Credit can be
     applied toward your child’s personal account in the monetary figure of your choice. The money can be
     divided evenly, or in the proportion of your choosing, among your children. Prepayment is encouraged for
     increasing the speed of service during meal periods.

     If a student has free or reduced lunch, Harrison Community Schools will be using a family application. We
     need only ONE APPLICATION per family. Please list all students and all household members on this
     application. If your student qualified for free or reduced priced meals last year, they will be again this year
     until a new application is processed or for the first 30 operating days of the new school year, whichever is
     first.

     If your non-handicapped child has a food allergy (i.e. milk), we must have a note on file from a medical
     professional (not necessarily a doctor) to make these substitutions prescribed by the doctor at no extra     
     charge. If a doctor has determined that your child has a handicap and the handicap would prevent the child
     from eating the regular school menu, this school will make any substitutions prescribed by the doctor at no
     extra charge.

Welcome to Breakfast at School:
Since early mornings are usually a rush from home to school, the food service department would like to invite your child(ren) to “Break for Breakfast” to get them fueled up for the day. School breakfast is available every day and we provide a variety of nutritious breakfast items. The meal will be available for FREE for all students. Elementary students will receive a Grab-n- Go breakfast choice where they will eat in their classroom.

Alternate Lunch Policy:
This year the alternate lunch policy will be stated on each menu and the negative and positive balance letters that will be sent home. The letter states: If your child’s account accumulates a deficit of $5.00 or more, he or she will not be eligible to purchase the normal menu item for the day. Instead, we will provide an alternate lunch that contains the required Government components. If you have unusual circumstances or wish further information, please contact the Harrison Community Schools Food Service Department at (989)539-7202.

Charge Policy:
The charge policy takes affect if your child’s account exceeds $5.00 in which the child will receive a peanut butter sandwich and white milk until funds are received to lower the deficit. Your student will NOT be allowed to purchase ala carte items if their account has a deficit. There will be NO charging of ala carte items. If a change occurs in the child’s household income during the school year or there is an unusual circumstance that occurs, it is important for the parent/guardian to contact Lacie Curns, Food Service Director at 989-539-7202, to see if the family qualifies for free or reduced meals. 

Parents Eating with Their Child(ren):
Parents are encouraged to join their child(ren) during lunch and enjoy a nutritious meal. The price for your adult meal is $3.00. If you bring other children with you, they will be charged the student price for the meal he or she consumes.

Field Trip Sack Lunches:
The cafeteria staff will gladly pack a sack lunch for you child(ren) on all field trip days. The lunch will contain one of the following choices: Pyramid Pete Pizza Happy Meal, Nacho Fun Lunch Happy Meal, PB&J Fun Lunch Happy Meal or a Cold Meat Sub Happy Meal. You will simply fill out a sack lunch form and return it to your child’s teacher one week prior to the field trip.

If you have any questions regarding the food service department, please contact
Lacie Curns at (989) 539-7202.

Enjoy the school year!