Free meals available in schools

Some children in Sisters can get their school meals for free or at a reduced rate.

The Sisters School District is a sponsor of the Oregon Department of Education's Child Nutrition Program (CNP).

Through the CNP the district participates in the Meal Benefits Program which provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free meals to district children.

The program stresses the significant role that good nutrition plays in a child's emotional, physical and mental well-being.

Free meals or reduced price meals are available to any child whose family qualifies under the guidelines of the CNP. Reduced price breakfasts cost 30 cents, and lunches are priced at 40 cents. Snacks are also available to qualifying students who participate in the after-school homework club at the middle school.

At the beginning of each school year, every family with children attending district schools by law receives an application for the Meal Benefits Program. New families moving into the district receive applications when they enroll their children in district schools.

Additionally, applications are available at all district schools throughout the school year for families whose circumstances change during the year, making their children eligible for the program.

Janice Comfort, Nutritional Services Coordinator for the Sisters School District, said that the district regularly accepts applications throughout the school year.

A family that may not be eligible today, could become eligible later in the school year with a decrease in household income or an increase in household size and should fill out an application at that time.

Comfort encourages families to apply "anytime they have a change. If something happened that they were laid-off for the winter, they can fill it (the application) out at that point."

For additional information or assistance call: Sisters Elementary School, 549-8981; Sisters Middle School, 549-2099; Sisters High School, 549-4045.