KENT, Conn.—Kent Center School has announced its policy for determining eligibility of children who may receive free or reduced-price meals served under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). Free milk is also served under the Special Milk Program (SMP).
Local school officials have adopted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Income Eligibility Guidelines for family size and income criteria for determining eligibility. For the 2025-2026 school year, children from households with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for free school meals. Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level qualify for reduced-price meals.
Applications are being sent via email to parents of students living in households eligible for free or reduced-price school meals or free milk through SMP.
Applications are also available on the KCS web page at kentcenterschol.org. To apply for free or reduced-price school meals or free milk through SMP, households should fill out the application and return it to the school.
Applications are available by emailing office@kentcenter.com or calling 860-927-3537. Only one application is required per household. Applications cannot be approved unless they contain complete eligibility information as indicated on the application and instructions.
The information provided on the application is confidential and will be used only for the purposes of determining eligibility and for administration of the lunch, breakfast and milk programs through SMP.
School-aged students in income-eligible households can receive school meal benefits regardless of a student’s immigration status. The district/school does not release information for immigration-related purposes in the usual course of operating the CNPs.
The district may share eligibility information with education, health, social service and nutrition programs to help them evaluate, fund or determine benefits for their programs; to auditors for program reviews, and law enforcement officials to help them look into violations of program rules.
Information may also be verified at any time during the school year by school or other program officials. Applications may be submitted at any time during the year.
No application is required if the district directly certifies a student based on a household member receiving assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) program.
All students in these households are eligible for free school meals or free milk through SMP. The school district will notify households receiving assistance under the SNAP/TFA programs of their eligibility and all enrolled students residing in the household will be offered free school meals or free milk through SMP unless the household notifies the determining official that it chooses to decline benefits.
If any students were not listed on the eligibility notice, the household should contact the district or school to have free meal or milk benefits extended to those students. Households receiving SNAP or TFA benefits for their children should only submit an application if they are not notified of their eligibility by Sept. 15.
Some students may be directly certified for free or reduced-price meals or milk through SMP based on HUSKY A (Medicaid) and, in these cases, no application is required. Students in these households are probably eligible for free or reduced-priced meal or milk benefits and will be notified of their eligibility and their children will be offered free or reduced-price school meals or milk through the SMP, unless the household notifies the determining official that it chooses to decline benefits.