Free & Reduced-Price Meal Program
Some Community Consolidated School District 62 students may be eligible for free or reduced price meals depending on family size and income as part of the National School Lunch/Breakfast Program, which provides nutritious meals every school day for eligible students at participating elementary and middle schools.
If interested, there is an application in Infinite Campus' Parent Portal to apply for free and reduced lunch.
Free and Reduced-Price Meal Online Applications
Application Directions can be found here.
Pre-Application Notice Letter
English, Spanish, Polish, Russian
The application for meal benefits must be completed each school year, and only one application is needed per household.
Your child’s application is only good for that one school year and for the first 30 days of this school year.
You must submit a new application unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new school year
Food or beverage items sold to students are part of a reimbursable meal under federal law and must follow the nutrition standards specified in the U.S. Department of Agriculture rules that implement the National School Lunch and Child Nutrition Acts. For additional information, please refer to Board Policy 4:130, Free and Reduced Price Food Services.
Breakfast After the Bell
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but too many kids miss a morning meal. Schools that offer breakfast after the start of the instructional day are able to provide more kids with the healthy food they need to learn.
Public Act 99-0850 mandates that all Illinois schools with a free and reduced lunch eligibility of 70 percent or greater serve breakfast after the start of the school day. This Breakfast After the Bell (BATB) requirement started with 2018-2019 School Year. The BATB program is intended to increase access to breakfast so that students start their day well-nourished and ready to learn.
All students at the eligible BATB schools, not just students eligible for free or reduced price meals, have access to free breakfast after the start of the school day. The current eligible Breakfast After the Bell (BATB) Schools include:
- North Elementary School
- Orchard Place Elementary School
- Plainfield Elementary School
To support the BATB program at the listed eligible schools, our District established Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows all first through fifth grade students at the BATB eligible school to also receive free lunch.
Free and Reduced Lunch Application for BATB Schools
Families do not need to submit a Free and Reduced Lunch Application for their students attending North, Orchard Place, or Plainfield Elementary Schools for the students to receive the free meals outlined above. However, the Free and Reduced lunch application will need to be submitted for siblings that attend Middle School or students that participate in the Extended Day Kindergarten program at the Early Learning Center to receive either free and/or reduced meals at those locations.
Fee Waiver for BATB Schools
To apply for a Fee Waiver for students attending North, Orchard Place, or Plainfield Elementary Schools, parents will need to submit an alternate Household and Income Form, available at the school. Eligibility for a Fee Waiver depends on family size and income, which is evaluated using the free lunch threshold set forth under the National School Lunch/Breakfast Program.
Please contact your home school's main office.
Eligibility & Guidelines
Application for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals must be renewed each year.
The required information is as follows:
Food Stamp/TANF households
Households that currently receive food stamps or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for their children, only have to list each child's name and food stamp or TANF case number and sign the application.
Link card numbers cannot be used.
Confidentiality
Information submitted on your application is only used by school officials to determine if your child(ren) qualify for free lunch/milk.
The signature of the child's parent or legal guardian is required on the application to allow school officials to determine eligibility for other services.
Verification
School officials may verify the information on the application at any time during the school year.
other households
If your household's income is at or below the level shown on the income scale, children are eligible for at least reduced price lunch and milk, and may be eligible for free lunch. Households must provide the following information:
- the names of all household members;
- the social security number of the adult household member signing the application, or the word “none” if the adult does not have a social security number;
- the amount of income each household member received last month, how often, and where it came from (wages, child support, etc.); and
- the signature of an adult household member.
fair hearing
You may speak with school officials if you do not agree with the decision on your application or with the results of verification. You also may ask for a fair hearing.
Please write and mail your request to:
Mark Bertolozzi, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services,
Community Consolidated School District 62
777 East Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016-6281.
Full-priced meal items for 2023-2024
The Board of Education approved the food service prices for the 2024-2025 School year. Following new prices are reflected on our Breakfast and Lunch Menus.
- Student Breakfast – $1.50
- Student Lunch – $3.05
- Adult Lunch – $3.55
- White Milk – $0.65
- Chocolate Milk – $0.65
Contact us
Community Consolidated School District 62 offers Free & Reduced Price Meals Program for those students unable to pay under the Illinois Free Lunch and Special Milk Programs. Children from households that meet federal guidelines are eligible for free lunch and milk. Application forms are sent in July/August to all homes with a letter to parents or guardians. To receive free lunches and milk for your child, each family must complete an application and return it to the school. Incomplete applications cannot be processed or approved.
If you have questions regarding your eligibility status, please contact your school's main office.
Click BOARD POLICY and choose Policies tab to review Food Services Management (4:120), Free and Reduced-Price Food Services (4:130) under 04: Operational Services; and School Wellness (6:050) under 06: Instruction.