To all families in the RSU 50 community:
As you may know, school meals in this district are free and available for all students, and this will continue into the 2022-23 school year. We are thrilled that all Maine children have been able to access free healthy school meals on a daily basis. We would like to extend our gratitude to the parents and caregivers who have participated in our meal programs.
We are calling on you to take action this school year by taking the time to complete the School Lunch Application. Any family can benefit from participating in school nutrition programs, and this application is important for a number of reasons. Since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic in March 2020, when school meals became complementary, there has been a significant drop in School Lunch Application returns. This year's count is really important because we are part of a new program. The data collected from this year's applications will remain the same for the next three years.
You may be wondering: why is completing the School Lunch Application necessary if meals in my school/district are free anyway? Even though any family in your district can participate in school meal programs at no cost, the family income data provided by completing the application informs key funding for academic resources for our district. This application is one way you as a parent or caregiver can invest in your student’s education. Completing a School Lunch Application form can help you connect to other important benefits. This includes free college application waivers to students who qualify and federal federal funding for students and school programs.
The online application can be found at https://www.nlappscloud.com/ or the RSU 50 website under the quick link tab at https://www.rsu50.org/
This year we are hoping to have 100% of the School Lunch Applications completed by our parents/guardians. As an incentive, any parents/guardians who complete their School Lunch Application prior to August 26th will be eligible for a drawing to win one of two $100 gas cards.
If you need assistance completing the application or would like a paper copy to complete, please contact the school and someone can help you. Thank you for your time in completing the application.
Sincerely,
Jon Porter, RSU 50 Superintendent