Departments

Food & Nutrition Services

Updated 3/2/2023

Updated 3/2/2023

CA Universal Free School Meals (SY 2022-23)

2022-23 Welcome Letter from Food Services

2022-23 Carta de bienvenida del servicio de alimentos

This school year, our team navigated through supply chain issues and staffing challenges and proudly served over 300,000 breakfasts and lunches. The State's meal mandate for universal free school meals begins with the start of SY 2022-23 on August 4. Although meals will be free to students, our state and federal funding is determined by meal eligibility, so we encourage households to complete SY 2022-23 meal applications on or after July 1. Any application completed before July 1 will not apply to the coming school year.

Each student is allowed one (1) free breakfast meal and one (1) free lunch meal every school day. The meal must be consumed on campus. A free meal must include a fruit serving and/or a vegetable serving. At all schools, students input their 6-digit student ID at the point of sale to receive a free meal.

Please visit the "Menus" page for up-to-date menus for all sites.

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Pandemic-EBT 3.0 Benefits

Please ensure your mailing address in Synergy is up to date!

The American Rescue Plan Act extended P-EBT benefits for school age children eligible in School Year (SY) 2021–22.

Previous P-EBT 2.0 Eligibility

Young children are eligible for P-EBT 2.0 if between October 1, 2020, and August 31, 2021, they were:

Age 0-6 years old; and
Part of a household getting CalFresh food benefits; and
Living in a county where at least one school facility is closed or is limiting in-person instruction.

School aged children are eligible for P-EBT 2.0 if they were:

Enrolled at a school for school year 2020-21 that participated in the federal School Breakfast Program or National School Lunch Program; and
Eligible to get free or reduced-price meals for school year 2020-21; and
Assumed to have attended school via all distance learning or a hybrid of all distance learning and in-person learning at least some days of the week during school year 2020-21.

P-EBT 2.0 cards for eligible young children who got CalFresh between October 2020 and January 2021 were automatically mailed beginning early July 2021 through August 2021.

P-EBT 2.0 cards for eligible school age children will be automatically mailed beginning early August 2021 through November 2021. P-EBT 2.0 cards for eligible young children who got CalFresh between February 2021 and May 2021 will be automatically mailed beginning in November 2021.

All remaining cards for both age groups will be mailed in December 2021.

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Earned Income Tax Credit Information Act Communication:

What is Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)? The EITC is a benefit for working people with low to moderate income. They must meet certain requirements and file a tax return, even if taxes are not owed or households are not required to file, to qualify. The EITC reduces the amount of tax households owe and may allow for a refund.

This language below is in RTC Section 19854:

Based on your annual earnings, you may be eligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit from the Federal Government (Federal EITC). The Federal EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. The Federal EITC has no effect on certain welfare benefits. In most cases, Federal EITC payments will not be used to determine eligibility for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, food stamps, low-income housing, or most Temporary Assistance For Needy Families payments. Even if you do not owe federal taxes, you must file a federal tax return to receive the Federal EITC. Be sure to fill out the Federal EITC form in the Federal Income Tax Return Booklet. For information regarding your eligibility to receive the Federal EITC, including information on how to obtain the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notice 797 or any other necessary forms and instructions, contact the IRS by calling 1-800-829-3676 or through its website at www.irs.gov.

You may also be eligible to receive the California Earned Income Tax Credit (California EITC) starting with the calendar year 2015 tax year. The California EITC is a refundable state income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. The California EITC is treated in the same manner as the Federal EITC and generally will not be used to determine eligibility for welfare benefits under California law. To claim the California EITC, even if you do not owe California taxes, you must file a California income tax return and complete and attach the California EITC Form (FTB 3514). For information on the availability of the credit eligibility requirements and how to obtain the necessary California forms and get help filing, contact the Franchise Tax Board at 1-800-852-5711 or through its website at www.ftb.ca.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Free meals are offered in the community and beyond:

Sunday @ 8:30AM

Window On the Bay by Al and Friends 501(c)3

717 Del Monte Avenue, Monterey

Monday, Wednesday, Friday @ 1:00PM

St. Mary's By-the-Sea Episcopal Church

146 12th Street, Pacific Grove

Breakfast meal includes entree, fruit, juice, and/or milk

Lunch meal includes entree, vegetables, fruit, juice, and/or milk

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Wellness Policy

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Stephanie Lip – School Nutrition Director

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online

at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
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:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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