KCSD News: Electronic free, reduced lunch applications now available on KCSD website 
Jan. 10, 2012

Parents who need to fill out applications for free and reduced meals for their children can now do it online, making the process much easier.

“We’ve worked to make this very user friendly,” said Kershaw County School District Food Services Coordinator Misha Lawyer. “This will be a great step in making this process more convenient for families.”

The link to the online application is available on the district’s website at www.kershaw.k12.sc.us/menu.  Families that have been approved for free or reduced meal benefits for this school year do not need to do anything now but will be able to use the system this summer to reapply. Applications for free and reduced meals are taken throughout the school year so families with children who are currently not receiving meal benefits are encouraged to use the system to complete an application.

Families only have to submit one application, regardless of the number of children in the household. Free meals are available for families on food stamps and most foster children. Federal guidelines determine eligibility for other families based on their income levels. Families can reapply at any time during the school year that circumstances change the household finances or number of persons living in the household.

Lawyer said that because the information is submitted electronically, the turnaround time for approval should also be quicker. “We’ve always worked diligently to respond quickly to the paperwork requests, but this system should allow us to do that in an even shorter timeframe,” she said. “We also take the privacy of our families’ information very seriously; this new online system will maintain that security and confidentiality.”

Persons with questions can contact Lawyer at 425-8906.

For more information: Mary Anne Byrd, 432-8416 ext. 1229