Student smiling with meal

Socorro ISD provides free breakfast to all students and free lunch at 33 CEP campuses
School lunch meal prices updated for new school year

The Socorro Independent School District is committed to offering delicious and nutritious breakfasts and lunches for all students to support their academic success. The SISD Child Nutrition Services department ensures all meals are balanced, meet federal and state standards, and options are provided to offer students the meals they enjoy with the nutrition they need to excel in the classroom.

For the 2024-2025 school year, applications for free and reduced-priced meals in Team SISD are accepted online at www.sisd.net/meal-application.

The online application process offers families an easy, quick, and efficient way to complete the form to determine if they qualify for free or reduced cost meals. For more information or questions about the online meal application, call the Child Nutrition Services department at (915) 937-0450.

The district will continue to offer free breakfast to all students this school year. As part of the Breakfast in the Classroom program, all elementary and PK-8 school students, regardless of income eligibility, will receive breakfast free of charge beginning August 5, 2024. Free breakfast for all middle and high school students in the district will continue to be offered through the School Breakfast Program. Check with your campus for information on Second Chance breakfast, which is breakfast served later in the morning to meet the needs of students who participate in sports, band, and other extracurricular activities early in the school day.

Students enrolled at the 33 participating Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) campuses will receive both breakfast and lunch meals for free. Students at these campuses do not need to fill out the meal application for free and reduced lunch.

The CEP elementary schools are Benito Martinez, Bill Sybert, Campestre, Chester E. Jordan, Elfida P. Chavez, Escontrias, H.D. Hilley, Helen Ball, Horizon Heights, Hueco, Keys, Loma Verde, Mission Ridge, Myrtle Cooper, O’Shea Keleher, Paso Del Norte, Purple Heart, Robert R. Rojas, Sgt. Roberto Ituarte, Sierra Vista, and Vista del Sol. CEP K-8 schools are Desert Wind, Ernesto Serna, Bill Sybert, and Jane A. Hambric. CEP middle schools are Capt. Walter E. Clarke, Hurshel Antwine, Montwood Middle, Salvador H. Sanchez, Spec. Rafael Hernando III, Socorro Middle, and William D. Slider. CEP high schools are KEYS Academy and Options High School.

To ensure compliance with Texas Department of Agriculture requirements, paid meal lunch prices for the 2024-2025 school year have increased by $0.10. Paid meal lunch prices will be $2.20 for grades Pre-K through fifth (PK-5) and $2.55 for grades sixth through 12th. The reduced price for lunch is $0.40.

Team SISD parents can manage their child’s school meal accounts online using the MySchoolBucks app. With the app, parents can set up automatic payments, add money to the account through the simple and secure system, and receive low balance alerts. In addition, Team SISD parents may also use the Meal Viewer app to view school breakfast and lunch menus and get the nutritional values of the specific food items. The MealViewer app is available for free download from the App Store or Google Play.

SISD provides free and reduced-price meals for children who qualify under the attached current income eligibility guidelines https://squaremeals.org/FandNResources/IncomeEligibilityGuidelines.aspx. Each SISD school and the District Education Center has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by anyone upon request.

Online applications can be completed on computers in the Child Nutrition Services Office, 12100 Eastlake Dr., the District Service Center, 12440 Rojas, and at schools districtwide. Paper copies of meal applications are also available at the CNS office.

Criteria for Free and Reduced-Price Meal Benefits
The following criteria will be used to determine a child’s eligibility for free or reduced-price meal benefits:

Income

1. Household income that is at or below the income eligibility levels

Categorical or Automatic Eligibility

2. Household receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Program Participant

3. Child’s status as a foster child, homeless, runaway, migrant, or displaced by a declared disaster

Income Eligibility
For those households that qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on income, an adult in the household must fill out a free and reduced-price meal application online. For more information, contact Wanda Carrillo, CNS Coordinator, 12100 Eastlake, El Paso, Texas, 79928, 915-937-0450. Those individuals filling out the application will need to provide the following information:

1. Names of all household members
2. Amount, frequency, and source of current income for each household member
3. Last 4 digits of the Social Security number of the adult household member who signs the application or, if the adult does not have a social security number, check the box for “No Social Security number”
4. Signature of an adult household member attesting that the information provided is correct

Categorical or Program Eligibility
Socorro Independent School District, Child Nutrition Services is working with local agencies to identify all children who are categorically and program eligible. Socorro Independent School District, Child Nutrition Services will notify the households of these children that they do not need to complete an application. Any household that does not receive a letter and feels they should have, may contact Wanda Carrillo, CNS Coordinator, 12100 Eastlake, El Paso, Texas, 79928, 915-937-0450.

Any household that wishes to decline benefits should submit an online application and choose to deny benefits.

Applications may be submitted anytime during the school year. The information households provide on the application will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility. Applications may also be verified by the school officials at any time during the school year.

Determining Eligibility
Under the provisions of the free and reduced-price meal policy, CNS Reviewing Official will review applications and determine eligibility. Households or guardians dissatisfied with the Reviewing Official’s eligibility determination may wish to discuss the decision with the Reviewing Official on an informal basis. Households wishing to make a formal appeal for a hearing on the decision may make a request either orally or in writing to Shelley Chenausky, Director of Child Nutrition Services, 12100 Eastlake, El Paso, Texas, 79928, 915-937-0450.

Unexpected Circumstances
If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size increases, this may affect the household eligibility for benefits. Should this occur, please contact Sandra Velasquez at 915-937-0450.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

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

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter 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; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.