Food Services
Food Service Program
2024-2025 School Year
California Universal Meal Program
2024-25 Parent Letter and Lunch Application Eng / Span
-----------------------------------------------------
Frequently Asked Questions
Will students eat at no charge this year? Yes, under the Universal Meal Program, students will have the ability to have breakfast and/or lunch at no charge this year. However, OGUSD must collect household applications to determine state reimbursement eligibility for all students. Applications are required to help determine district funding and the cafeteria resources.
OGUSD will not receive reimbursement from the State if meal applications are not collected.
Why else are meal applications important? Our district’s federal (Title 1), local (Local Control Funding Formula) and private grant funding is based on the total number of eligible applications collected. Free and reduced price benefits are available to all children regardless of their citizenship status.
Do I need to fill out an application for each child? No. Use one Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application for all students in your household. Return the completed application to your child’s school site - Oak Grove Elementary School 8760 Bower Street, Sebastopol, Ca 95472 or Willowside Middle School 5285 Hall Road, Santa Rosa, Ca 95401
Can I apply online? Yes! You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper application if you are able. The online application has the same requirements and will ask you for the same information as the paper application. Visit https://www.mymealtime.com/ to begin or to learn more about the online application process.
Contact Maria Khaleck, Fiscal Services Specialist- mkhaleck@ogusd.org (707) 545-0171 EXT. 309 if you have any questions about the online application.
May I apply if someone in my household is not a U.S. Citizen? Yes. You, your children, or other household members do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply.
What if my income is not always the same? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only made $900, put down that you made $1000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.
What if some household members have no income to report? Household members may not receive some types of income we ask you to report on the application, or may not receive income at all. Whenever this happens, please write a 0 in the field. However, if any income fields are left empty or blank, those will also be counted as zeroes. Please be
careful when leaving income fields blank, as we will assume you meant to do so.
We are in the military, do we report our income differently? Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, it must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.
What if there is not enough space on the application for my family? List any additional household members on a separate piece of paper, and attach it to your application. Contact Maria Khaleck, Fiscal Services Specialist mkhaleck@ ogusd.org (707) 545-0171 EXT. 309 to receive a second application. You may also pick up an application at your child’s school office.
What if my family receives state or federal assistance? If your family participates in CalFresh, CalWorks or FDPIR programs, your child(ren) and any other child living in your household is eligible for free meals. Because CalFresh, CalWorks and FDPIR are known as directly certified benefits, you may receive a letter granting benefits for the school year without having submitted an application.
My child is using MediCal benefits, does s/he qualify for meal benefits? It is possible your student is eligible for meal benefits however; meal benefits can only be issued via the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CalPads) and not on a household application. If you feel your student may qualify but has not received meal benefits information, please contact Maria Khaleck at mkhaleck@ogusd.org or 707-545-0171, ext. 309.
What if my student is a foster youth, homeless, migrant or runaway? If your student is a foster youth, homeless, migrant or a runaway please check the appropriate box on the application and submit any accompanying documentation. Students who have been legally adopted are not eligible for meal benefits.
How do I know if children in my home qualify as homeless, migrant, or runaway?
● If members of your household lack a permanent address
● Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement
● Your family relocates on a seasonal basis
● There are children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household
My family needs more help. Are there other programs we might apply for? To find out how to apply for SNAP or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office, call 1-877-847-3663 or go on the web: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/calfresh
Is my information kept confidential? Education Code 49558 prohibits the disclosure of any individual child's free or reduced-price (F/RP) meal eligibility status for any purpose other than the administration of a school meal program.
If you have questions, please contact Maria Khaleck, Fiscal Services Specialist at mkhaleck@ogusd.org or
707-545-0171, Ext. 309
Filling out a Household Income State Meal Program Form helps schools receive additional funding for programs that help children, families and teachers.
Oak Grove Union School District offers diverse and healthy options for our lunch programs.
Civil Rights Notice of Procedures- USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
*Join our Wellness Committee! We need your help. Parents, school staff and students can create a healthy school nutrition environment. If you are interested in joining our Wellness Committee, please email Amy Prescott at aprescott@ogusd.org. Thank you!
