Free and Reduced Lunch Application

Starting this school year, students at all schools will need to apply if they wish to receive free or reduced-price meals. Guilford County Schools will no longer participate in a federal program that certified all students in an entire school as eligible for free lunch. The change was made to give district leaders a more precise indicator of student poverty. A child’s status is carried over from the previous year for 30 days. If an application is not received prior to the 30-day cutoff, then the child’s meal status will become a PAID status and the child will begin to accrue charges for any meals that are not paid for.

They will use free- or reduced-price meal percentages to allocate Title I funds. Title I is a federal program that seeks to lessen the impact of poverty on learning by providing additional support to schools where 40 percent or more of enrolled students are considered economically disadvantaged. Students qualify for free- or reduced-price meals using a federal formula that takes into account regional household income and family size. 

Full price for breakfast is $1, and full price for lunch is $2.85. All students who qualify for reduced-priced meals will receive breakfast at no cost and can purchase lunch for $.40.