The Anacortes School District has several schools that offer free meals (breakfast and lunch).  ALL STUDENTS in the following schools will receive meals at no cost in school year 2024-2025: 

• Mount Erie Elementary School 
• Fidalgo Elementary School 
• Cap Sante High School- Qualified as a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) School

If you attend any of these schools, you must still complete a Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefit Application once a year so that the school can continue to qualify for free meals. If you would like a paper copy, they are available at your student's school. OR, you can DOWNLOAD the application form here.

Why will these schools provide free meals?

House Bill 1238 (HB 1238) mandates that Local Education Agencies (LEAs) provide meals at no cost to students enrolled at elementary schools where 30% or more of children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. This requirement begins in the 2024–25 school year and is based on the preceding year’s October Building Data. In prior years the threshold for free or reduced-price meals was 40% or more. 

As of October 31, 2023, our percentage of free and reduced students in the elementary schools are as follows: 

FID - 31.20%  ISV - 27.80%  MTE - 36.90%

Why aren't free meals available at my school?

Because the free meal program under HB 1238 applies to elementary schools where at least 30% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, only those schools meeting or exceeding this percentage are included. 

Regardless of this change, it is important that all families, regardless of income, apply for free and reduced-price meals. Completion of this form may help provide important funding for our schools, as well as continue and possibly expand our ability to serve meals at no cost. If qualified, families may also receive waived or reduced fees for certain programs, like sports, clubs, and other events! 

NEW!  Read this message from Superintendent Reykdal and OSPI on the importance of completing an application for school meals!   Posted Sept 19, 2024  HERE

You should complete the Free and Reduced Price Meal Application if:

• Your household income is the SAME or LESS than the amount on the Income Chart below.
• You take part in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• You take part in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
• You receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• You are a Foster Child
• You are a Migrant Student 
• You are a Homeless Student
• You are enrolled at any of our schools  

DOWNLOAD THE NEW ELIGIBLITY AND BENEFITS FORM HERE                      SPANISH

LETTER TO HOUSEHOLDS                                                                               SPANISH

Income Chart

USDA Child Nutrition Program Income Guidelines
Effective July 1–June 30, 2025

Under federal guidelines, approval of meal benefits is limited to full meals. This means that if your child wants to purchase only milk, they will be charged full price for the milk.

A meal Includes:

• One entrée
• Fruit/vegetables
• milk 

Benefits when approved for free:

• Breakfast: Free
• Lunch: Free

Benefits when approved for reduced price:

• Breakfast: Free
• Lunch: Free

The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program that provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost, or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.

A school’s qualification for the program, Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), is based on the percentage of families with students attending that school who participate in state-funded assistance programs such as SNAP, WIC, etc. The data comes from the state database of assistance program participation. 

Your information remains confidential and is never sold or disclosed. 

We encourage all eligible families to submit a new application for free and reduced-price meals at the start of each new school year before October 31. However, applications are accepted anytime throughout the school year. Only one application per household is necessary

Fill out the following forms, and return to our Food and Nutrition office, any school, district office, or simply email jmaltsberger@asd103.org. 

Food and Nutrition Services
Anacortes High School 
1600 20th Street
Anacortes, WA  98221

All information received regarding free & reduced eligibility is kept confidential.

FORMS

• NEW! Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education and Benefit Application 2024-2025
• Letter To Households
• Consent to Share Eligibility Form 
  See Other Benefits Section for more information. 
  
  ESPANOL 
• Solicitud de grupo familiar para recibir comidas gratuitas y de precio reducido 2024-25 
• Carta a los hogares
• Consentimiento para compartir la información de elegibilidad  

Reduced Fee Benefits

Families who qualify for free and reduced price meals may be eligible to receive reduced fees for the following programs:

• Event Fees
• Athletic Fees 
• Extracurricular Field Trips
• Associated Student Body (ASB) Fees
• Extracurricular Fees and Dues
  
  FORM
• Consent to Share Eligibility Form - optional form
• Formulario de elegibilidad de consentimiento para compartir - forma opcional
  Added benefits if eligible include reduced or waived fees for school programs such as ASB card, sports fees, testing, and more. We must have a signed form on file in each new school year in order to waive fees. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, federal programs provided funding for schools to provide free school meals for all students. Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, the funding that allowed for the free meals expired and has left a hardship on families.

With your help and support, we will be able to lower the negative totals and ease the hardship on families.

How can you help?

Community members can go to the ASF website (click the logo above) and designate their donation in the drop-down menu for ASD Meal Support.

Or directly donate to the Anacortes School District by dropping off at the district office located at 2200 M Avenue. In the memo line write Meal Support donation and if you want it to go to a specific school. The funds will be added to the donation’s accounts, clear out free/reduced accounts first, and then finish with unpaid if funds remain.