FAQ'S
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. How often do I need to submit an application for free or reduced lunch? A new Household Eligibility Application needs to be submitted at the beginning of each school year. However, students may apply for meal benefits at any time during the school year.
The Food Service office reviews the applications and eligibility determination is based on USDA guidelines. Students may also be granted free meal benefits through the process of Direct Certification. Direct Certification is a process which allows District 87 to obtain documentation from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to determine the children who are members of a household currently certified to receive SNAP or TANF benefits and are therefore eligible for free meal benefits. These families are not required to fill out a Household Eligibility Application.
2. Do I need to submit a Household Eligibility Application for each one of my students? No. Submit only one Household Eligibility Application listing all students, even if they are at different schools.
3. If my student is free or reduced for the current school year, will he/she automatically be free during the next school year? Those students who were receiving meal benefits at the end of the previous school year will continue to receive benefits for 30 operating days into the next school year or until a new application is processed, whichever comes first. If the student does not reapply or is found to be no longer eligible, the student must begin paying full price for meals.
4. Can I prepay money into my student’s lunch account; and if so, how do I go about doing this? Yes, we strongly encourage prepayment by check. Simply write a check payable to your student’s school or Berkeley School Dist. 87. Be sure to put the student’s name(s) on the memo line of the check.
5. If I have more than one student do I need to write a separate check for each of their lunch accounts? Should you have more than one student at the same school, you can write one check to be split between them--but be sure to have the students’ name(s) on the memo line of the check. However, those who have siblings at different schools will have to send in a separate payment to each school.
6. How do I check the balance on my student’s lunch account? Call the Food Service office at 708-449-3347 or 708-449-3316, or e-mail us at llandenberger@berkeley87.org or jhenderson@berkeley87.org.
7. What happens to the money in my student’s lunch account at the end of the school year? Students who have positive or negative balances will carry them to the next grade level of school within District 87 for the following year.
8. What happens to the money in my student’s lunch account if we leave the district? Families who leave the district will need to send a written request to the school asking for the return of the remaining balance in the student’s lunch account.
9. Can money be withdrawn by my student from his/her lunch account? No. Once a deposit is made into a lunch account, it can only be used in conjunction with the debit card and the lunch program. However, with a parent’s permission, the Food Service office can transfer money between siblings’ accounts.
10. What happens if my student doesn’t have money for lunch? The first and second time a student doesn’t have lunch money, the student will get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a carton of milk at the cost of $.50 (IOU). Students who are on reduced lunch will receive the sandwich and milk for $.40 (IOU-reduced). Parents will be notified by letter of the outstanding balance. The third time a student doesn’t have lunch money, if the student has two outstanding IOU’s, the student will not receive lunch.
