- Newton Public Schools
- Food and Nutrition Services
- Free, Reduced-Price, and Paid Meal Options
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- Overview
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Financial Assistance: Free and Reduced-Price Meals
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Through the National School Lunch Program, financial assistance is provided to families to ensure students have access to healthy, nutritionally balanced meals each day. Families may receive free or reduced-price eligibility through either Direct Certification or by submitting an application, which is determined based upon federal income-eligibility guidelines.
Newton Public Schools Fee Waivers If you are eligible for paid or reduced-price meal benefits, you are also eligible for district financial assistance and fee waivers. However, if you receive benefits through Direct Certification, you need to apply for district waivers through Aspen as an additional step. This is a very simple but necessary process. Please review the steps as described on the Fee Payment and Waiver Information tab on the NPS website.
If you apply for and are approved for free or reduced-price eligibility through the application process, there is a section in the application where you can select to share your eligibility information within Newton Public Schools. If you choose to share this information, Newton will be able to extend the fee payment and waiver assistance to other NPS departments - for example, transportation, athletics, activities - with your approval.
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Free and Reduced-Price Eligibility: Direct Certification
- All children in households receiving benefits from MA SNAP, MA TAFDC, FDPIR, or specific categories of Medicaid are eligible for free meals.
- Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals.
- Children participating in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
- Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals.
- Children may receive free or reduced-priced meals if your household’s income is within the limits of the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reduced-priced meals if your household income falls at or below the limits that are established annually.
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Free and Reduced-Price: Application
Should you need assistance, you may apply for free and reduced-price meal benefits through the online application. The online application is easy to complete and is definitely the quickest and most efficient way to have your eligibility confirmed.
Please note that families can apply throughout the school year should their financial situation change.
If determined eligible for free or reduced-price meals, the eligibility remains for the full school year and carries into the first 30 operational days of the next school year.
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Free and Reduced-Price Documents
Free and Reduced Meal Program Documents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Free and Reduced Meal Program (English)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Free and Reduced Meal Program (Chinese)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Free and Reduced Meal Program (Portuguese)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Free and Reduced Meal Program (Spanish)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Free and Reduced Meal Program (Russian)
Downloadable Paper Application - Free and Reduced-Price Meal Program
Note - Please use the paper application only if you cannot complete the online application.
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Free and Reduced Price Meal Equity
The free and reduced meal is exactly the same as the meal served to students who do not participate in the program. Free and reduced price eligibility status is kept strictly confidential.
Please note, however, that second meals and a la carte items are not reduced and must be purchased at full price.
Paid Meals
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Note that only the first breakfast and/or lunch a student consumes each day is free under the Massachusetts 2022-23 universally-free funding initiative. Second meals and a la carte items must be paid for with either from funds deposited into your student's MySchoolBucks lunch account or with cash. The easiest way to pay for student meals is through MySchoolBucks.
Second meals and a la carte items are the responsibility of the student's family regardless of free or reduced-price eligibility status.
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MySchoolBucks Account
All students in the Newton Public Schools are given a meal account. You can access this account by setting up a login and password at MySchoolBucks. You can view transactions for the past 90 days and current account balances. As needed, you can add funds to your student’s meal account, which incurs a $2.00 convenience fee.
PreK and elementary students will use a card kept at the school and students in middle and high school will use a keypad to input a PIN number to charge their account. The cashier is able to verify the person charging the meal is the right person with a student picture that is visible on the point-of-sale machine when the card is swiped or the PIN is entered.
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Food Charges
Federal law prohibits schools from denying any child a meal. Therefore, staff will not ask your child if they have permission to purchase lunch or any a la carte items.
Because we are prohibited by law from denying a student a meal, we ask that you develop a plan with your student/s about the meals and items they may or may not purchase from the cafeteria, especially a la carte items.
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Food Service Policy – Unpaid balances
Please review the Newton School Committee food service policy for specific information related to food service balances. The district is committed to providing meals to all students who choose to participate in the school lunch program and requires that parents/guardians and/or students satisfy all financial obligations to the lunch program in a timely manner.
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Request a MySchoolBucks Meal Account Transfer or Refund
If you wish to transfer funds and you are the account holder named on your students’ account, email Julie Athanasiadis and provide the names of your students and the dollar amount to be transferred. To request a refund, email Julie and provide the following information:
Student Name:
Parent Name:
Amount Request:
Mailing Address:
Contact phone number:
Please note that refunds take 3 – 4 weeks to arrive.
