Important Links to Keep You in the Know
FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEAL PROGRAM
The Household Meal Benefit Application (HMBA) for
school year is available to fill out and submit online or via hard
copy.
The online HMBA is available for parents/guardians to
complete and submit electronically for determining free or reduced-price meal
eligibility at http://www.bcps.org/parents/ . Attached is a quick reference guide for accessing the new online application for distribution to parents and guardians.
The hard copy HMBA, application instructions, and parent/guardian letter will be delivered to principals during the week of August 11, 2014. Federal regulations require that a HMBA be distributed to every student before or during the first week of school. Principals must dispose of any prior year applications. Translated versions of the HMBA are available in Chinese (traditional) and Spanish (Latin American) by contacting the Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) at 410-887-7860.
The two-sided document includes an "opt out" section for parents/guardians to complete. School staff must check both sides of the application for completeness and return the completed original application(s) to the OFNS, 9610 Pulaski Park, Suite 219, for processing. Incomplete applications will be returned to the school. No fax or photocopies will be accepted.
Families must reapply for meal benefits every school year in order to continue to receive meal benefits. Prior-year meal benefit eligibility status expires on Friday, October 10, 2014.