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2024-25 SUMMER MAILING

CHRISTOPHER J. TRANBERG, PH.D.
Superintendent of Schools

ALLISON K. MORAN
Assistant Superintendent of Schools

BLAIZE LEVITAN
Chief Operating Officer

 

BRANFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
185 Damascus Road, Branford CT 06405-3717
203.488.7276 * Fax 203.315.3505 

August 2024

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Branford Public Schools would like to welcome everyone back to a new school year! With no state funding there WILL be a return to charging for all breakfast and lunch meals this school year. The prices (not including a la carte items) are:

Breakfast Elementary       Lunch Elementary 
$2.05                                       $3.30
Breakfast Middle School   Lunch Middle School 
$2.30                                        $3.60
Breakfast High School        Lunch High School
$2.55                                        $3.90

Every summer, we encourage families to apply for free and reduced-price school meals.

If your family is at or near the income eligibility guidelines included in this packet and you have not received a Notice of Direct Certification, please take the time to apply. Information you provide on the application is confidential and only seen by one, trained person unless you appeal the decision. This year, reduced eligible students will be completely free, so it is imperative to complete the application. If you would like to apply for Free and Reduced-price meals, please complete, sign, and return the yellow form so that your eligibility can be determined. In order to maximize confidentiality, we are collecting all applications at the Board of Education Central Office, 185 Damascus Road, Branford, CT 06405. Please mail to Central Office, do not return the application to your child's school.

If you have received a NOTICE OF DIRECT CERTIFICATION for free or reduced-price meals, do not complete the application unless instructed to do so by the district. Free meal benefits are automatically extended to all children in your household when directly certified. If any children in your household are not listed on your Notice of Direct Certification letter, please call 203-315-7806 for assistance.

Included in this packet are: 

  • 2024-25 Application for Free and Reduced-price School Meals ( ONE PER HOUSEHOLD) 
  • Branford Public Schools Breakfast and Lunch Program and MySchool Bucks overview 
  • Board of Education Meal Charging Policy and Administrative Regulation-Bad Debt (5875P) 
  • Branford Public Schools calendar 2024-25 
  • Frequently Asked Questions about Free and Reduced-Price School Meals 
  • Addendum C: Information on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 
  • Addendum B: Information about Connecticut's HUSKY child health insurance plans

If you have any questions, please contact Maria Cacace, Determining Official at (203) 315-7806. If your situation changes or you change your mind, you may apply any time during the school year.

Thank you,

Blaize Levitan
Chief Operating Officer

CHRISTOPHER J. TRANBERG, PH.D.
Superintendent of Schools

ALLISON K. MORAN
Assistant Superintendent of Schools

BLAIZE LEVITAN
Chief Operating Officer

 

 

Agosto de 2024

Estimado padre/tutor:

¡Las Escuelas Públicas de Branford les da a todos la bienvenida a un nuevo año escolar! Ante la ausencia de fondos estatales, se COBRARÁ nuevamente por todos los desayunos y los almuerzos este año escolar. Los precios (sin incluir los artículos a la carta) son:

Desayuno Primaria        Almuerzo Primaria     
$2.05                                     $3.30
Desayuno Intermedia    Almuerzo Intermedia
$2.30                                     $3.60
Desayuno Secundaria    Almuerzo Secundaria
$2.55                                     $3.90

Animamos a las familias cada verano a que soliciten las comidas escolares gratuitas y de precio reducido.

Si su familia cumple con o está cerca de los lineamientos de elegibilidad relativos al ingreso incluidos en este paquete y usted no ha recibido un Aviso de Certificación Directa, por favor dedique un momento a solicitar. La información que usted suministre en la solicitud tiene carácter confidencial y sólo será vista por una persona capacitada a menos que apele la decisión. Este año, los estudiantes que son elegibles para comidas de precio reducido las recibirán completamente gratis de manera que es imperativo que usted llene la solicitud. Si le gustaría solicitar las comidas gratuitas y de precio reducido, por favor llene, firme y envíe el formulario amarillo de manera que podamos determinar su elegibilidad. A los fines de maximizar la confidencialidad, estamos recibiendo las solicitudes en la Oficina Central de la Junta Educativa, 185 Damascus Road, Branford, CT 06405. Por favor envíe la solicitud a la Oficina Central y no a la escuela de su hijo.

Si usted recibió un AVISO DE CERTIFICACIÓN DIRECTA para comidas gratuitas o de precio reducido, no llene la solicitud a menos que el distrito se lo pida. Los beneficios de comidas gratuitas se extienden automáticamente a todos los niños de su familia que sean certificados directamente. Si algún niño de su familia no aparece en la carta de Aviso de Certificación Directa, por favor llame al 203-315- 7806 para recibir asistencia.

Este paquete incluye:

  • Solicitud de Comidas Escolares Gratuitas y de Precio Reducido del 2024-25 (Formulario amarillo, UNO POR FAMILIA)  
  • Visión general del Programa de Desayuno y Almuerzo y MySchool Bucks de las Esculeas Públicas de Branford
  • Política sobre el Cobro de Comidas y Regulación Administrativa-Deudas Incobrables de la Junta Educativa (5875P)
  • Calendario del 2024-25 de las Escuelas Públicas de Branford
  • Preguntas frecuentes sobre las Comidas Escolares Gratuitas y de Precio Reducido
  • Apéndice C: Información sobre el Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP, por sus siglas en inglés) 
  • Apéndice B: Información sobre los planes de seguro médico para niños HUSKY de Connecticut

Si usted tiene alguna pregunta, por favor comuníquese con María Cacace, Oficial de Determinación en el (203) 315-7806. Si su situación cambia o si usted cambia de parecer, puede enviar una solicitud en cualquier momento del año escolar.

Gracias,

Blaize Levitan
Jefe de Operaciones

 

2024-25 Application for Free and Reduced-price School Meals

2024-25 Application for Free and Reduced-price School Meals - Spanish

How to Fill out the application

 

 

Students                         5875P

MEAL CHARGING POLICY

The Branford Board of Education (the “Board”) recognizes the importance of providing nutritious food to students in the Branford Public Schools (the “District”). 

The Board is a sponsor of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services’ Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP), and the District shall adhere to the federal and state guidelines and regulations pertaining to these school Child Nutrition Programs.  In accordance with federal law, the Board will make a public announcement and notify parents and guardians of the eligibility criteria for free and reduced-price meals and provide information regarding how a household may make an application for these benefits.  Such notice and application will generally be distributed at the beginning of each school year.   

Charging Meals

The District uses an automated prepayment system for student meal accounts.  Students whose accounts have insufficient funds, and who do not bring a meal or other funds to school to pay for meals, may charge meals to their meal accounts.  Students will be informed of their right to purchase a meal, which excludes a la carte items, for any school breakfast, lunch or other meal offered by the District, even if the student’s account has insufficient funds.

The Board prohibits publicly identifying or shaming a student for any unpaid meal charges, including, but not limited to, the following: 

  • Delaying or refusing to serve a meal to such student;

  • Designating a specific meal option for the student; or

  • Otherwise taking any disciplinary action against the student.  

Collection of Unpaid Meal Charges

The District’s efforts to recover from households money owed due to the charging of meals must not have a negative impact on the children involved and shall focus primarily on the adults in the household responsible for providing funds for meal purchases. The District shall consider whether the benefits of potential collections outweigh the costs that would be incurred to achieve those collections.

For purposes of this policy, “delinquent debt” means unpaid meal charges.  

The District will contact the parents/guardians of students who charge meals to their meal accounts in order for the District to collect the delinquent debt. The first such communication will be a written communication, by mail or e-mail, after five (5) meal(s) have been charged. Subsequent written and verbal communications with parents/guardians concerning delinquent debt will be made by the building administrator or designee, as may be necessary and appropriate.  All communications regarding unpaid meal charges shall be made directly and discreetly to parents/guardians.  Written communications with parents/guardians regarding collection of a student’s unpaid meal charges shall include an application for free or reduced-price meals, information on local food pantries and the Connecticut Department of Social Services’ supplemental nutrition assistance program, and a link to the District’s or Town’s website that lists any community services available to Town residents. 

In the event a student’s unpaid meal charges are equal to or more than the cost of thirty (30) meals, the parents/guardians of such student will be referred to the District’s homeless education liaison.

The Board shall comply with applicable federal and state laws and other federal or state requirements concerning the collection of unpaid meal charges, including but not limited to requirements relating to delinquent debt and “bad debt,” as defined by federal law, and record-keeping relating thereto.  The Board may accept gifts, donations or grants from any public or private sources for the purpose of paying off any unpaid charges for school lunches, breakfasts or other such feeding.

Dissemination of Policy

This policy shall be provided in writing to all households at the start of each school year and to households transferring to the District during the school year.  This policy shall be provided to all District staff responsible for its enforcement. In addition, school social workers, nurses, the homeless liaison, and other staff members assisting children in need or who may be contacted by families with unpaid meal charges shall be informed of this policy.

The District shall maintain, to the extent required by law, documentation of the methods used to communicate this policy to households and District staff responsible for policy enforcement.

The District shall provide this policy to the Connecticut State Department of Education during Administrative Reviews.

The Superintendent or designee may, if necessary and appropriate, develop administrative regulations in furtherance of this policy.

Legal References:

State law:

Connecticut General Statutes

§ 10-215 Lunches, breakfasts and other feeding programs for public school children and employees.

State of Connecticut, Department of Education, School Health, Nutrition and Family Services Operational Memorandum No. 11-22, “Connecticut Statutory Requirements for Unpaid Meal Charges in Public Schools,” June 15, 2022.

State of Connecticut, Department of Education, Bureau of Health/Nutrition, Family Services and Adult Education Operational Memorandum No. 4-17, “Guidance on Unpaid Meal Charges and Collection of Delinquent Meal Payments,” Nov. 2, 2016.

Federal law:

7 C.F.R. Part 210 National School Lunch Program. 

7 C.F.R. Part 220 School Breakfast Program.

7 C.F.R. Part 245 Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price Meals and Free Milk in Schools.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Policy Memo SP 46-2016, “Unpaid Meal Charges: Local Meal Charge Policy,” July 8, 2016.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Policy Memo SP 47-2016, “Unpaid Meal Charges: Clarification on Collection of Delinquent Meal Payments,” July 8, 2016.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Policy Memo SP 57-2016, “Unpaid Meal Charges: Guidance and Q&A,” Sept. 16, 2016.

 

ADOPTED:  10-19-2022

REVISED:   

8/2/22

 

2024-25 Complete Summer Mailing Packet 

 

Supplemental Student Accident Insurance


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