Free and Reduced Meal Program

• All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Ohio Works First (OWF) are eligible for free meals.
• Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals.
• Children participating in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
• Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals.
• Children may receive free or reduced-price meals if their household’s income is within the limits of the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reduced-price meals if your household income falls at or below the limits on this chart.

Do the members of your household lack a permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement? Does your family relocate on a seasonal basis? Are any children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household? If you believe children in your household meet these descriptions and haven’t been told your children will get free meals, please call or e-mail Kelly Weitzel at 330-664-4800.

No. Use one Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application for all students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Please apply online if possible. If an online application is not possible, a paper application can be picked up at the Board of Education office or in any school office. Please return the completed paper applications to: Steve Robinson, 3797 Ridgewood Road, Copley, Ohio 44321.

No, but please read the letter you got carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in your household were missing from your eligibility notification, please call Steve Robinson at 330-664-4800 immediately.

Yes. You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper application if possible. The online application requirements are the same and will request the same information as the paper application. Visit copley-fairlawn.payschools.com to begin or to learn more about the online application process. Contact Steve Robinson at 330-664-4800 with any questions about the online application.

Yes. Your child’s application is only good for last school year and for the first few days of this school year, through October 1, 2024. You must send in a new application unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year. If you do not complete a new application that is approved by the school or you have not been notified that your child is eligible for free meals, your child will be charged the full price for meals.

Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced price meals. Please complete an application.

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

Yes, you may apply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free and reduced-price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.

You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to Steve Robinson, 3797 Ridgewood Road, Copley, Ohio 44321 or 330-664-4800

Yes. You, your children, or other household members do not have to be a U.S. citizen to apply for free or reduced-price meals.

List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only made $900, put down that you made $1000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.

Household members may not receive some types of income we ask you to report on the application, or may not receive income at all. Whenever this happens, please write a 0 in the field. However, if any income fields are left empty or blank, those will also be counted as zeroes. Please be careful when leaving income fields blank.

Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, it must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.

List any additional household members on a separate piece of paper, and attach it to your application or contact Steve Robinson, 3797 Ridgewood Road, Copley, Ohio 44321 or 330-664-4800 or steve.robinson@copley-fairlawn.org to receive a second application

To find out how to apply for Ohio SNAP or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or call 877-852-0010.