Lunch Eligibility Application

Hawthorn District 73 participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) which is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946. Meal rates for the 2024-2025 school year are:

• Breakfast - $1.50
  
• Lunch - $3.50
  
• Lunch Extra Entree - $2.20
  
• Milk Only - $.50

If your household income is at or below the current Income Eligibility Guidelines, you are encouraged to complete a school meal application, see the United States Department of Agriculture income eligibility guidelines below. Applications are reviewed by district officials before approval of free or reduced price benefits. If you receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, all of your children who attend school automatically qualify for free school meals. Participation in other federal assistance programs, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) also provides automatic eligibility. Please contact your school to determine if you need to fill out an application.

If you are eligible for unemployment compensation or The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), you may also be eligible for free or reduced price school meals. State Workforce Agency Administrators should let households seeking unemployment benefits about the availability of free and reduced price school meals, click here to apply online.

When completing the application, provide all information requested as an incomplete application cannot be approved. Apply online through LINQ Connect. Should you need additional support, please contact Gabriela Cervantes at 847-990-4245.

You will be notified by a Hawthorn 73 representative if your household is approved for free or for reduced price meals. Students with free or reduced lunch status may order one full breakfast or lunch per day, rates below. Please note that full rates apply if the student orders an extra lunch entree or milk only and the transaction is recorded in the student lunch account.

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:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
   (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
   Program.Intake@usda.gov

Hawthorn District 73 is an equal opportunity provider.