Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefits

One Application, Many Benefits

One application may help your family access:

Free or reduced-price school meals
SUN Bucks for summer groceries
Reduced or eliminated school and activity fees (ASB cards, athletic and extracurricular activity fees, etc)
Lower college application and admission-testing costs
College Bound Scholarship eligibility

And every eligible application helps Monroe School District qualify for additional funding that supports students!

Online Application

The fastest and easier way to apply is online. Only one application is needed per household.

Visit Family Access and enter your login and password.
If you need support accessing your account, please call your child's school.
Select 'Food Service' on the left side of the screen
Choose a Child in the top left drop down menu (click the blue arrow icon)
Select the 'Applications' link (top middle of the screen)
Click 'Add Application'
Follow the instructions on the left-hand side of the screen
Instructions are listed at the top of each page. Click the 'Next' button at the top of each page to be sure you are completing all required steps.

Paper Application
If you prefer to fill out a paper copy of the Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit application, copies can be picked up in school offices, at the District Administration Office, or are available to print here: English | Spanish | Russian | Ukrainian

Return completed paper applications to:
Monroe School District
14692 179th Ave SE
Monroe, WA 98272

Please be aware that it can take up to 10 business days to process an application. After your application has been processed, you will receive notification if you are approved or denied.

Who Should Apply?

Households whose income is at or below the income guidelines
Families receiving Basic Food, TANF or FDPIR who have not already been directly certified
Households applying for eligible foster children

Some Students Are Automatically Eligible
Foster, migrant, homeless, and runaway children, and children enrolled in a Head Start program are automatically eligible for free meals. If you are completing an application for a student in one of these categories, contact Tinna Pamanian at 425-236-1762 for more information. If you need help completing the application, a person outside your household may be designated as an authorized representative to assist with the application process.

Not sure if your family qualifies? Submit an application.
Eligibility depends on household size, income and other factors. Complete the application and we'll determine whether your household qualifies.

Applied last year? You may need to apply again.
Applications generally must be completed each school year unless you've been notified that your student is already eligible for 2026-27.

2026-27 Income Guidelines

2026-27 Income Guidelines

USDA Child Nutrition Program Income Guidelines

Effective July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027

Look at the income chart below. Find your household size. Find your total household income. Households with incomes at or below the income limits may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals and SUN Bucks benefits. If members in the household are paid at different times during the month and you are unsure if your household is eligible, fill out an application and we will determine your income eligibility for you.

Household Size	Annual	Monthly	Twice Per Month	Every 2 Weeks	Weekly
1	$29,526	$2,461	$1,231	$1,136	$568
2	$40,034	$3,337	$1,669	$1,540	$770
3	$50,542	$4,212	$2,106	$1,944	$972
4	$61,050	$5,088	$2,544	$2,349	$1,175
5	$71,558	$5,964	$2,982	$2,753	$1,377
6	$82,066	$6,839	$3,420	$3,157	$1,579
7	$92,574	$7,715	$3,858	$3,561	$1,781
8	$103,082	$8,591	$4,296	$3,965	$1,983
For each add'l family member, add:	$10,508	$876	$438	$405	$203

HOUSEHOLD is defined as all persons, including parents, children, grandparents, and all people related or unrelated who live in your home and share living expenses. If applying for a household with a foster child, you may include the foster child in the total household size.

HOUSEHOLD INCOME is considered to be the income each household member received before taxes. This includes wages, social security, pension, unemployment, welfare, child support, alimony, and any other cash income. If including a foster child as part of the household, you must also include the foster child’s personal income. Do not report foster payments as income.

School Meal Prices

Frank Wagner & Fryelands Elementary Schools

In the Monroe School District, all students who attend Frank Wagner Elementary and Fryelands Elementary qualify for free meals for the 2026-27 school year - this means that breakfast and lunches will be free to all students at these schools. *Note: students are eligible for one free breakfast & lunch per school day; additional meals beyond that per day will be charged the full price for the meal.

These schools' qualification for free meals is based on the percentage of their families who qualified as income-eligible last school year. In order for schools to qualify for free meals next school year, families are encouraged to fill out a CNEEB Application this year. This application also provides students access to fee waivers and other services.

All Other Schools

Families at all other schools in the Monroe School District that have meal service may apply for free meals by submitting a Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit (CNEEB) Application at any time during the school year.

If your family does not qualify for free meal benefits, students will be charged the full price for meals.

How Your Application Makes a Difference

Every eligible form can help our schools receive funding for:

School-wide free meals
Before and after-school programs
Additional paraeducators and support staff
Family engagement activities and staff
Classroom and learning resources

Consent to Share Meal Benefit Eligibility

Students who qualify for free meals are eligible to have optional, non-curricular fees automatically waived each year (per HB 1660). If your student qualifies for free meals for the 2026‐27 school year and you would like to have their benefit eligibility status shared with school officials so that they may receive fee waivers, please complete the Consent to Share Form. Non-curricular fees that will be automatically waived include:

ASB cards
Entry to drama productions
Dance admission fees
Club dues
Competitions and conferences
ASB field trips
Sports participation fees
Uniforms

Consent to Share Form - English Consent to Share Form - Spanish

In order to have fees automatically waived, this form must be submitted each school year. Completed forms can be returned to your child's school office or the District Administration Office.

Monroe School District Family Event Pass

Family Event Passes are available for low-income families who qualify for Free or Reduced Meals and have submitted a Consent to Share Form. Family Event Passes allow eligible family members to receive reduced admission to ASB events held at MSD schools. Family passes are not accepted for playoff games or away games.

Request a Family Event Pass

Please note: You must qualify for Free and Reduced Price Meals to be eligible for a Family Event Pass.

What must be on the application?

What must be on the application?

All information provided on the application must be true and correct. By completing the application, your household attests that they do not receive SUN Bucks benefits through a different State or Indian Tribal Organization (if applicable), you recognize that this information is given in connection with the receipt of federal or state benefits and that school officials may verify (check) the information. Purposely providing false information may result in your children losing these benefits, and you may be prosecuted under applicable State and Federal criminal statutes.

A. For households not getting any assistance:

Student name(s)
Names of all household members
Income by source for all household members
Adult household member's signature
Last 4 digits of social security number of the adult household member who signs the application (or if the adult signing does not have a social security number, check the associated box).

Complete Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5; Part 6 is optional.

B. For households with only foster child(ren):

Student’s name
Adult household member signature

Complete Parts 1 and 5; Part 6 is optional. You may also send the school a copy of the court documentation showing the foster child(ren) was/were placed with you instead of filling out an application form.

Last 4 digits of SSN are not required for B.

C. For a family getting Basic Food/TANF/FDPIR:

List all student names
Enter a case number
Adult household member's signature

Complete Parts 1, 2, 4, and 5. Part 6 is optional.

Last 4 digits of SSN are not required for C.

D. For household with a foster child(ren) and other children:

Apply as a household and include foster children. Follow the directions for “A. For households not getting any assistance:” and include the foster child’s personal use income.

What if I’m not receiving basic food dollars?

What if I’m not receiving basic food dollars?

Do my children automatically qualify if they have a case number?

Do my children automatically qualify if they have a case number?

Yes. Children on TANF or Basic Food may get free meals and children receiving some Medicaid benefits may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals without the household having to complete an application. These children are identified by the school using a data matching process. This matched list is then made available to your child’s school food service staff. The students on this list get free meals if their schools have the free and reduced-price breakfast and/or lunch program (not all schools do). Please contact us immediately if you feel your children should be receiving free meals and are not. If you do not want your child to participate in the free meal programs using this method, please notify the school.

If anyone in my household has a case number, will all children qualify for free meals?

If anyone in my household has a case number, will all children qualify for free meals?

Basic Food - Can I qualify for assistance in buying food?

Basic Food - Can I qualify for assistance in buying food?

Basic Food is the state’s food stamp program. It helps households make ends meet by providing monthly benefits to buy food. Getting Basic Food is easy! You can apply in person at the local DSHS Community Service Office, by mail, or online. There are other benefits too. You can learn about Basic Food by calling 1-877-501-2233 or by logging on to https://www.dshs.wa.gov/esa/community-services-offices/basic-food

We are in the military. Do we report our income differently?

We are in the military. Do we report our income differently?

Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, it must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.

What if some household members have no income to report?

What if some household members have no income to report?

Health Coverage

Health Coverage

What if my child needs special foods?

What if my child needs special foods?

Will I need to provide proof of eligibility?

Will I need to provide proof of eligibility?

what if i disagree with the eligibility decision?

what if i disagree with the eligibility decision?

What if my income changes?

What if my income changes?

Have additional questions?

Please contact:
Rachel Rathgeber, Fiscal Department Manager
(360) 804-2510
rathgeberr@monroe.wednet.edu

USDA Non-Discrimination

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/ad-3027.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:

Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

Fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

Email:
Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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