Grand Junction, CO - While free, pandemic-era school breakfast and lunch programming for all has come to an end this year in most schools, Chipeta, Clifton, Dos Rios, Nisley and Rocky Mountain Elementary Schools will participate in a Universal Breakfast Program for the 2022-23 school year. That means all students at those five schools can eat breakfast at school free of charge.
Breakfasts will be available to all students at these five schools free of charge regardless of a child’s free/reduced meal status. However, students must apply for free or reduced-price school meals in order to receive free lunches at school. Meal applications are available at myschoolapps.com and income eligibility guidelines are available on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.
The Universal Breakfast Program is an option for schools where a high rate of students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. Last year, 66.6% to 78.3% of the students at Chipeta, Clifton, Dos Rios, Nisley, and Rocky Mt. signed up for free/reduced meals, even though school meals were free for all students nationwide during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years. Even more students at those five schools (74-80%) were signed up for free/reduced meals in 2019-20.
Families across the district are encouraged to apply for free or reduced-price school meals this year, as the USDA program that made meals automatically free to all students for the last two years has ended. Not only can applicants receive free school meals, they may also qualify for bus passes, utility discounts, and a waiver of school fees and test fees.
Studies have shown that children who eat school meals perform better in school. By providing breakfast to all children at no charge, we hope to create a better learning environment for our students.
The school breakfast that D51 serves follows USDA guidelines for healthy school meals. The Universal Breakfast Program cannot succeed without your support; please encourage your children to participate in the school breakfast program.
Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.