For the 2021-22 school year MEALS ARE FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS! The US Department of Agriculture has extended its Nationwide Waiver to Allow the Seamless Summer Option through the upcoming school year.
While this means that completion of the free and reduced application isn’t needed to qualify for free meals, there are other reasons you may wish to complete the form for your family. Eligibility for other programs is based on the income information included in the free and reduced meals application. It is important to complete for your family or child(ren) :
To qualify for Pandemic EBT
To carry over free or reduced “status” into the first 30 days of the 2022-23 school year
To have school fees waived for the 2021-22 school year, including academic fees, summer school tuition, full day kindergarten tuition, extracurricular fees and PTO led assistance programs. (if you are determined to be income eligible, you will be required to complete a second form to allow this information to be shared with those responsible for these programs.)
You only need to complete this application for the 2021-22 school year if one of the following pertains to you:
You are new to the district and believe that your income qualifies your family.
You do not qualify automatically through participation in SNAP
Your family circumstances have changed. (ie. new family members living in the household, change in combined family income, or you believe you would now qualify when you did not in the past)
The free and reduced priced meals form can be completed and submitted online by visiting https://www.payschoolscentral.com or can be processed through the Sycamore Schools App. You will have the opportunity to also complete and submit a school fees waiver at the same time.
You do not need to submit the free and reduced price meals application this school year if you were approved for free or reduced price meals during the 2019-20 AND/OR the 2020-21 school year. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given districts permission to carry these meal status’ over to this school year. If you qualified for free or reduced price meals during either the 2019-20 and/or 2020-21 school year and your status is being carried over, you should have received an email inviting you to fill out a new Authorization to Share Information Form. This is important for fee waiver purposes. If you did not receive a link to the online Google Form and feel as though you should have, please email spyroua@sycamoreschools.org
Apply Online
Sycamore Child Nutrition offers an online application option. This allows you to find out whether you qualify or not instantaneously. Turn around time for the paper application can be up to 10 days, so we highly recommend applying online versus the paper application.
Every application needs to be completed and turned into the Child Nutrition Office, located at the District Offices - 5959 Hagewa Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 or into the school office.
Fee Waivers
If you forgot to select fee waivers, changed your mind regarding fee waivers, or were pre-approved for free meals through the Direct Certification Process and need to submit your waiver letter, please fill out the Authorization to Share Information with Other Programs Form and return to the Child Nutrition Services Department. If you are participating in any extracurricular activities (ie. Athletics or Performing Arts) please also fill out the Performing Arts Program and Athletic Program Fee Form and turn this into your coach or advisor.
