Senator HOLLAND. You mean there is no uniform standard within the State? Miss MARTIN. No, sir; because the needs differ from county to county within the State. Senator HOLLAND. Have you available the standards for the various counties of Georgia? Miss MARTIN. I have those in my office, sir. Senator TALMADGE. Will you supply that for the record? Senator HOLLAND. Not for all of them, because you have 159 counties. Miss MARTIN. Yes, sir. Senator HOLLAND. Will you supply standards for Fulton County, which is your largest county, I believe, is it not? Miss MARTIN. That is correct. Senator HOLLAND. And the standard for one of the smaller rural counties. Miss MARTIN. I will. You may prefer that I send the standard for DeKalk County rather than Fulton, because we have two separate systems in Fulton County, the county system and the city of Atlanta. The economic need in Atlanta is much greater than in DeKalb. Senator TALMADGE. DeKalb has the largest per capital income in the State. Senator HOLLAND. I would suggest that you supply the standards for DeKalb County, the one for Atlanta, and one for a rural county. Miss MARTIN. All right, sir. (The information is as follows:) Mr. Corys MOUSER, Atlanta, Ga., October 9, 1969. Chief Clerk, Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. MOUSER: In accordance with Senator Ellender's request, copies of the free and reduced price lunch policies for the following school systems are enclosed: Fulton County-representing large county school system DeKalb County-representing large school system with high per capita Randolph County-representing small rural school system Mr. Sam Vanneman, U.S.D.A., will provide the projections requested by Senator Ellender. Sincerely yours, JOSEPHINE MARTIN, Chief Consultant, School Food Service, RANDOLPH COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION SCHOOL LUNCH POLICY The Randolph County Board of Education in accordance with the Revised United States Department of Agriculture Regulations of the National School Lunch Act submits this policy regarding the determination of eligibility for free and reduced price lunches and safeguards to avoid discrimination between the paying and non-paying children. Part 1.00 Criteria to be used to determine economic need. 1.01 The Board of Education shall cause each administrative unit to conduct an every pupil survey giving information pertaining to: (a) Average family income (weekly or monthly) (b) Family size (c) Number of children in family. 1.02 The eligibility of specific children for free versus reduced price versus full price will then be determined from a system scale reflecting family income and family size. 1.03 Children from families certified for assistance under the Food Stamp Program or Commodity Distribution and children from families participating in any of the various programs of public assistance such as Family Aid to Dependent Children may be given priority for free and reduced price lunches. 1.04 Children from families who for various reasons are not participating in the Food Stamp Program, Food Commodity Distribution or any public assistance program but are at comparable income levels and family size shall be given the same consideration for free and reduced price lunches. 1.05 Whenever possible the children should be expected to pay some nominal charge within the family's financial capability for the lunches received. The system adopted chart for determining free or reduced price meals should be followed in providing the free or reduced price meals for pupils. 1.06 There may be circumstances which warrant the granting of free or reduced price meals to additional children on an intermittent or emergency basis. The justifications may be illness or death in the family or other circumstances imposing an economic hardship on the family or a nutritional hardship on the children. 1.07 All applications for free or reduced price lunches shall be made on the standard system-wide form readily available at all schools and at the office of the superintendent. Part 2.00 Responsibility for determining economic need. 2.01 The principal of each school shall have the ultimate responsibility for the identification of economically needy children. 2.02 The principal may base his decisions on the recommendations of: (a) Classroom teachers (b) Members of the school staff (c) Counselors (d) Visiting teachers (e) Community representatives 2.03 The principal may establish a school committee composed of representatives from the school and community. 2.04 The principal may make the total decision. Part 3.00 Procedural steps to determine economic need. 3.02 Send memo to parents explaining food service program, sale price, importance of participation, payment procedure, and policy for assisting with lunches for economically needy children. 3.03 Advise parents requesting additional information or assistance for children to contact principal in writing for conference. 3.04 Send system approved application form to families requesting assistance. 3.05 Determine the financial ability to meet the identified need. With the high incidence of economically needy children, it will be impossible to meet the total need with the present resources. 3.06 The principal (committee) will review and approve applications. Principal will notify parents of action taken. 3.07 The principal (committee) will review each application for free or reduced price lunches at least once a semester. 3.08 The principal will review or evaluate the applications received as a result of changes in economic conditions of pupils or other extenuating circumstances. Part 4.00 Provision for appeal. 4.01 Parents may appeal decisions in individual cases to: (a) The school committee (if applicable) (b) The principal of the school 35-131 0-69- + (c) The superintendent (d) The Board of Education Part 5.00 Plans for making announcement of policy to the patrons of the attendance areas. 5.01 The superintendent should follow the approved board policy for announcing new school board decisions and policy affecting children of which parents should be informed. 5.02 The announcement should include this clause: "The Board has adopted the following policy regarding free and reduced price lunches in Randolph County School System. Each school will implement this policy independently and will be individually subject to the availability of funds." 5.03 All income-family size charts will be treated as confidential and will not be made available to anyone without the expressed consent of an administrative officer. 5.04 The announcement shall include information about the School Lunch Program including facts about food costs, labor expenses, equipment and materials costs, miscellaneous expenses, and normal sources of income. Explanation should be made concerning the need for community financing if the program is to be fully implemented. Part 6.00 Procedures to collect payment. 6.01 All schools shall use lunch tickets or tokens which will be dispersed by the homeroom teachers. Each teacher shall be notified privately of any and all children receiving free or reduced price lunches. The system shall provide a standard lunch accounting book and each homeroom teacher shall list all students alphabetically. Each student shall be called individually to the desk and the proper financial procedures will be followed. 6.02 Students should be encouraged to pay by the week and month in order to reduce the time required to handle funds and to better protect the identity of needy children. Part 7.00 Directions to avoid discrimination. 7.01 It is incumbent upon the school to take all possible steps to eliminate the possibility of other children knowing who is receiving a free or reduced price lunch. The law is very specific in prohibiting "physical segregation of or other discrimination" against any child because of his inability to pay for lunches. 7.02 Names of chldren determined to be eligible for free or reduced price meals shall not be published, posted, or announced in any manner to other children, and such children will not be required, as a condition of receiving such meals, to: (a) Use a separate lunchroom (b) Go through a separate serving line (c) Enter the lunchroom through a separate entrance (d) Eat lunch at a different time than paying children (e) Work for his free lunch unless paying children are also required to work in the lunchroom (f) Use a different ticket or token from paying children (g) Accept a lunch different from that served to paying children. It must be emphasized that this program would have to be self-sustaining in so far as the Board of Education is concerned and will have to be amended and/ or changed in order to insure that the program operates on a economically sound basis. Every effort will be made to accomplish the full implementation of this program, securing aid from local, State, and National welfare and relief organizations. |