School Meals and Money for Kids


The Free and Reduced National School Lunch Program, along with California’s Universal Meals Program, does more than ensure that all DJUSD TK-12 students have access to a key element to academic success – good nutrition. The program also provides an important link between participation in our student nutrition programs and funding for our schools.

We hope the following information will help create a better understanding of why it is important for parents or guardians to complete the Free and Reduced National School Lunch Program (NSLP) application:

Why is it important to fill out the application if meals are already provided at no cost?
Qualification in the NSLP’s Free and Reduced Meals Program provides an additional 20 percent in supplemental state funding that is used to support a variety of student programs. This school year, due to California’s supplemental Universal Meals Program, all enrolled with DJUSD will receive free meals regardless of eligibility. However, we still need to qualify families in the NSLP Free and Reduced program in order to receive the additional 20 percent state funding.

Not qualifying eligible students could mean a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars for our students for years to come. We are asking all DJUSD families to complete the application if you have not already done so, especially if your family circumstances have changed and you think you may now be eligible.
If I fill out the National School Lunch Program application, and I’m accepted, what other programs or services would I be eligible to receive?
  • Through the Federal Affordable Connectivity Program, discounts are available for high-speed internet connection for families.
  • Fee waivers for college applications.
  • Subsidies or discounts for programs like the Davis Kids Klub (DKK).
  • College savings account eligibility under the California Kids Investment and Development Savings (CalKIDS) program.
  • Pandemic-Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) eligibility.
If I fill out the National School Lunch Program’s (NSLP) Free and Reduced application, and I am notified that I do not qualify, what does this mean?


How do I apply?


Families must complete a new application each school year. You may complete your application for the National School Lunch Program in one of the following three ways:

  • The application is available online on the MySchoolApps website.
  • You may download and complete a hard copy of the application (in English or Spanish) and turn it in to your school office or the District Office (526 B Street). The District Office is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

We need everyone’s assistance to help us ensure that any family who may qualify completes the National School Lunch Program application for the current 2021-22 school year. This matters now and in the future.

Help us continue to deliver healthy, wholesome meals to students, while also sustaining important funding to provide programs and services to our students!