Educational Benefits

  2024-2025 income guidelines, effective July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025

Breakfast and lunch meals are at no charge for all students in Kindergarten-grade 12.

You will receive a letter in the mail with the status of eligibility. Contact foodservices@district16.org if you have not received the letter.

How do I know if I need to fill out the Educational Benefits application? If you have received a letter of approval for the 2023-2024 school year, you do not need to fill out the Educational Benefits application. Please keep this letter for your records as proof of eligibility when registering for reduced athletic fees, community programs, bussing and more. 

If your Educational Benefits application is approved as free or reduced status: Extracurricular activity charges will be waived or reduced, such as athletics, fine arts, community education or other programs associated with Spring Lake Park Schools.

If your Educational Benefits application is denied: Extracurricular activity charges will be full price, such as athletics, fine arts, community education or other programs associated with Spring Lake Park Schools. You may reapply if you find there was an error on the original application and/or if your household circumstances change.

Yes. You or your children do not have to be U.S. citizens for your children to qualify for educational benefits.

Include yourself and all other people living in the household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relatives or friends). Include a household member who is temporarily away, such as a college student.

List the amount that you normally get. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you get it only occasionally.

Information you provide on the form, and your child's approval for school educational benefits, will be protected as private data. 

Yes. We may also ask you to send written proof.

You may re-apply for these benefits at any time during the school year regardless of your circumstances.

If you have Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare, please watch your mail for information on how to renew your health care coverage. During the COVID-19 emergency, the state of Minnesota continued coverage of these programs without families having to take any action. Renewals are now beginning again. To keep their health care coverage, families will be asked to complete the renewal process.

As a school district, we are helping the state communicate about these renewals. These state programs not only impact health care for families but are also connected to critical school funding.

If you have Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare:

1. Make sure you have reported any chances to your contact information to Anoka County. Has your address, phone number or email address changed recently? If so, please report these to your county or tribal agency to make sure the state can reach you.

2. Watch for your renewal in the mail. The state must review your eligibility to see if you still qualify for coverage. They will mail a renewal form to you. Without your completed renewal form, your coverage cannot continue.

Questions? For more information, go online. If you have general questions about Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare, call DHS Health Care Consumer Support at 651-297-3862 or 800-657-3672.

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act requires the information on this application. You do not have to give this information but if you do not, we cannot approve your child for free or reduced-price school meals. You must include the last four digits of the Social Security number of the adult household member who signs the application. The last four digits of the Social Security number are not required when you apply on behalf of a foster child, or you provide an MFIP, SNAP or FDPIR assistance number, or you indicate that the adult household member signing the application does not have a Social Security Number.

We will use your information to determine if your child qualifies for free school meals, and for administration and enforcement of the school meal programs. We may share your information with other education, health, and nutrition programs to help them evaluate, fund, or determine benefits for their programs, auditors for program reviews, and law enforcement officials to help them look into violations of program rules.

Children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals may qualify for Minnesota Health Care Programs. Your child’s status for school meals may be shared with Minnesota Health Care Programs unless you tell us not to share your information by checking the box in Step 5 of the application. You are not required to share information for this purpose and your decision will not affect approval for school meal benefits.

Children who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals may be eligible for Minnesota health insurance programs. Your child’s eligibility status for school meals (qualified for free or reduced-price meals) may be shared with the MinnesotaCare and General Assistance Medical Care programs unless you tell us not to share your information by checking the boxes in section 5 of the application. You are not required to share information for this purpose and your decision will not affect approval for school meal benefits.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail to U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or (2) fax to (202) 690-7442; or (3) email to program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.