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Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARM)

Free and Reduced-price Meal (FARM) Application School Year 2023-2024

Students at all DCPS schools receive free breakfast, plus supper and snack at applicable schools. 

Many students qualify for free lunch through one of the following ways: 

  1. For School Year 2023- 2024, 96 of our schools qualify for free lunch under the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). To see a list of these schools, please visit: dcps.dc.gov/page/community-eligibility-provision-cep-schools. Households where all students attend a DCPS CEP school do not need to complete a FARM application and will automatically be eligible for all benefits associated with approved FARM status. 

  1. At DCPS schools (listed below) students may automatically qualify for free meals through 'direct certification' which means the student or family meets one of the following criteria: 

  • Students in households receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or 

  • Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court, or   

  • Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, migrant status.  

  1. If your student does not meet the above qualifications and attends a DCPS school listed below, then a Free And Reduced-price Meal (FARM) Application is required to qualify for free meals based on family income. 

  • Brent Elementary School
  • Deal Middle School
  • Eaton Elementary School  
  • Hardy Middle School
  • Hearst Elementary School
  • Hyde-Addison Elementary School
  • Jackson-Reed (Wilson) High School
  • Janney Elementary School
  • Key Elementary School
  • Lafayette Elementary School
  • MacArthur High School
  • Mann Elementary School
  • Maury Elementary School
  • Murch Elementary School
  • Oyster-Adams – Adams Campus
  • Oyster-Adams – Oyster Campus
  • Peabody Elementary School
  • Ross Elementary School
  • Shepherd Elementary School
  • Stoddert Elementary School
  • School Within A School – Goding
  • School Without Walls High School

 

4. You can complete an application either online or through a paper application. For fastest processing, please complete an online application. 

Please complete a FARM application if your child attends a DCPS school listed above, even if you decline the service. 

Click here to access the online application! 

To access the paper application [PDF], please reference below documents. To submit your paper application, please deliver to a DCPS school listed above, email to [email protected], or print and mail or fax to: 

Food & Nutrition Services 
c/o: Nadine James - FARM Application 
1200 First Street, NE 9th Floor 
Washington, DC 20002 
Fax: (202) 727-2512 

Please complete only one application for all students that attend DCPS in your household every school year, even if they attend different DCPS schools. Families with students only enrolled in charter or private schools should contact your school directly. DCPS FNS cannot accept or process applications for charter or private schools.

 

More Languages 

This document is also available in Amharic, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Vietnamese at the bottom of the page. 

 

See the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines below if you believe your household qualifies: 

Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines 23/24 

Household Size 

Annual Income 

Monthly Income 

Twice Per Month 

Bi-Weekly Income 

Weekly Income 

$26,973 

$2,248 

$1,124 

$1,038 

$519 

$36,482 

$3,041 

$1,521 

$1,404 

$702 

$45,991 

$3,833 

$1,917 

$1,769 

$885 

$55,500 

$4,625 

$2,313 

$2,135 

$1,068 

$65,009 

$5,418 

$2,709 

$2,501 

$1,251 

$74,518 

$6,210 

$3,105 

$2,867 

$1,434 

$84,027 

$7,003 

$3,502 

$3,232 

$1,616 

$93,536 

$7,795 

$3,898 

$3,598 

$1,799 

Each additional person 

+$9,509 

+$793 

+$397 

+$366 

+$183 

 

a. Only ONE FARM APPLICATION PER HOUSEHOLD should be completed even if the students attend different schools. A household is considered all persons, related or unrelated, living at the same address. 

b. DCPS only accepts FARM applications for the DCPS schools listed above. If you or your child attends a charter or private school, please reach out to the school directly.  

c. FARM applications for school year 2022-2023 expired on June 30th, 2023 and a new application is needed for school year 2023-2024. 

d. The grace period for students who qualified for free lunch during school year 2022-2023 ended in October. Please fill out a new application for school year 2023-2024.

  

Benefits of FARM Status 

  1. Free lunch at your student's DCPS school 

  1. Waiver of college test fees 

  1. Waiver of college application fees 

  1. Reduced price internet services

 

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement  

District of Columbia Human Rights Act  

 

Contact TTY:  

711 

Related Content:  

Free and Reduced-priced Meals (FARM) Application 2023-2024 

Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Schools 

Contact TTY: 
711