Antonia Lucier ~Dir of Dining Services antonia.lucier@compass-usa.com

Contact us:

401-397-5125
lunch-coordinator@ewgri.gov

Exeter-West Greenwich RSD
Free and Reduced Lunch Coordinator
940 Nooseneck Hill Rd.
West Greenwich, RI 02817

Children need healthy meals to learn. Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School District offers healthy meals every school day.

Meal benefit applications are necessary and important. If your child is not approved for free school meals, you must add money to your school meal account to buy any meals, food or beverage items.

The information on your school meal benefit application may qualify your child for free or reduced-price lunch and other educational discounts, which benefits your child! It also helps our schools get important state and federal education funding, which also benefits your child!

Children need healthy meals to learn. Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School District offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs $1.50; lunch costs $2.50 for PK-6 and $2.80 for 7-12. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. Reduced price is $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch. Below are some common questions and answers to help you with the application process.

1.       Who can get free OR REDUCED PRICE meals?

·         All children in households receiving benefits from SNAP Rhode Island, The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) or RI Works, 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 price meals if your household’s income is within the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals if your household income falls at or below the limits on this chart.

1.       How do I know if my children qualify as homeless, migrant, or runaway? Do the members of your household lack a permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement? Does your family relocate on a seasonal basis? Are any children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household? If you believe children in your household meet these criteria and haven’t been told your children are eligible for free meals, please call or e-mail Marie Ahern, Homeless Liaison, phone (401)-397-5125, Marie_Ahern@ewg.k12.ri.us

2.      Do I need to fill out an application for each child?  No. All students in your household can be entered on the online Free Reduced Lunch application. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Complete the online application by clicking the Meal Benefits – Apply Online Now button. 

3.    Should I fill out an application if I received a letter this school year saying my children are already approved for free meals?   No, but please read the letter you received carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in your household are missing from your eligibility notification, contact the Meal Benefit Coordinator at Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School District ~ Administration Building 940 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich, RI 02817, 401.397.5125, lunch-coordinator@ewgri.gov

4.       My child’s application was approved last year.  Do I need to fill out a new one? Yes.  Your child’s application is only good for one school year. There is a grace period for the first few weeks of the school year, through the last day of school.    If your application is not approved by the District, your child will be charged the full price for meals.  

5.       I get WIC.  Can my children get free meals?  Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced price meals.  Please submit an application.

6.       Will the information I give be checked? Yes. We may be asked for follow up information.

7.              If I don’t qualify now, may I apply later? Yes, you may apply at any time during the school year.  For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free and reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.

8.            What if I disagree with the school’s decision about my application? You should reach out to the Meal Benefits Coordinator at lunch-coordinator@ewgri.gov . A verification official will review your case. If further review is required, an appeal hearing can be requested by calling or writing to: James Erinakes at Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School District ~ Administration Building 940 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich, RI 02817, 401.397.5125, James_Erinakes @ewg.k12.ri.us

9.              May I apply if someone in my household is not a U.S. citizen? Yes. U.S. citizenship is not a requirement for free or reduced price meal eligibility. 

10.        What if my income is not always the same? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1,000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only made $900, report earnings of $1,000 per month.  If you normally get overtime, report this as earnings. Do not include overtime earnings if it is not predictable or consistent.  If you have lost a job or are experiencing reduced hours or wages, report the reduced income.

11.      What if some household members have no income to report? Household members may not receive some types of income we ask you to report on the application, or may not receive income at all. If the household has no earnings, please enter 0 in the field. Do not leave income fields blank.

12.  We are in the military. do we report our income differently? Basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. Cash value allowances for off-base housing, food or clothing, must also be included as income. If your housing allowance is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include this amount as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is excluded from income.

14.   My family needs more help. Are there other programs we might apply for?  Your family may be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other programs. To find out if you qualify or to learn more, visit SNAP Outreach assistance at: https://dhs.ri.gov/programs-and-services/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/snap-outreach-toolkit. 

If you are concerned about a food allergy that your student has, please notify the cafeteria with this information. A warning will appear on the cashier’s screen for a quick review of the items on the student’s meal tray.

Students may pay for lunch with cash or by using their account. We use a computer-based lunch system that allows students to use their ID number to charge their lunch items to their account. When using their account it must be funded using a pre-payment method.

You will have the ability to monitor student transactions and deposit money electronically onto your child’s account by signing up at https://www.myschoolbucks.com.

You can send in prepayment at any time. Although students can add cash to their account by giving it to the cashier at checkout, we recommend that parents send in checks rather than cash. All monies should be submitted only to cafeteria personnel. Checks are to be made payable to EWG School Lunch Program. When sending a prepayment, please include the student’s ID number on the face of the check. If you send in cash please indicate the student's ID number on the face of the envelope.

If you prefer not to apply online, the paper application form is  available online or you can pick one from up from your local school office.

Who can get free or reduced-price meals?

• All children in households receiving benefits from SNAP, FDPIR or TANF are eligible for free meals.

• Foster children 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.

• Schools are required to serve meals at no charge to children whose household income is at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines.

• Children are entitled to pay a reduced price if their household income is above 130 percent but at or below 185 percent of these guidelines.

• The current income and family size criteria can be found under the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.

Only one application is required per household no matter how many children are attending Exeter-West Greenwich schools. Completed applications can be turned in to the main office at the school your child attends or mailed to EWGRSD, 940 Nooseneck Hill Rd., West Greenwich, RI 02817.