8/31/2022
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The Belmont Public School’s Food & Nutrition Department would like to update you with exciting news about universal free school meals. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has extended free school meals for all students through the 2022-2023 school year! This means that every student is eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each day. All additional meals outside the first breakfast and lunch will be charged along with the school’s current meal rates.
Please note that even though every student may get one free breakfast and one free lunch per day, it is still very important for families to complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2022-2023 school year. Our office will start accepting meal applications on Wednesday, 8/31. You can view and complete the application on the following website. You do NOT need to complete an application if you already received an email stating that your child was directly certified for free or reduced-price meals (will be emailed on 8/31).
If you prefer to complete your application on paper, those are available to print out online on the food services website. Please print, complete and return the attached application to Belmont High School, 221 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA 02478 (attention to Gail Mulani). Translated applications are available also on the food service website.
If you are in need of food assistance at home, please consider applying for SNAP, the federal nutrition program that provides eligible residents with monthly financial assistance to purchase groceries. More SNAP information can be found at gettingsnap.org or by calling Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333.
Please note that anything above and beyond a student’s first breakfast or lunch will be charged to their account. This includes second meals, water, individual milk, snacks and other a la carte items. If you would like to deposit money into your student’s account, you can do so via myschoolbucks.com or by sending cash or a check (payable to Belmont School Lunch) into school with your child.
As POS stations (cashier registers) will be returning this school year, students will need to learn or re-learn their 4-digit pin numbers for the POS stations. Pin numbers can be found on each student’s PlusPortals account and will be available from September 2nd forward (new families to Belmont as of this date have been sent PlusPortals account information). CMS and BHS will have registers open for September 8th and the elementary schools will follow in mid-September (families will be notified of a register start date). Breakfast and lunch will still be available to all students whether the pin number is known at the time of service.
Belmont Public School’s Food & Nutrition Department thanks you for your patience in awaiting this news! As always, we are grateful for the opportunity to provide nourishing and healthy meals to all Belmont students so please reach out to us with any questions or concerns.
Best,
Jacqueline Morgan
Director of Food & Nutrition
jmorgan@belmontschools.net
617-993-5871