Free and Reduced Lunch Application Process

Liberty Public Schools is committed to serving our students healthy and satisfying meals each and every day, which helps them focus, learn, and succeed while they are in our care.

Each year, families are provided an opportunity to file an application with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to determine whether they might qualify for free or reduced lunch status. This is a critically important benefit to many of our students and we encourage all interested families to apply. It is important to note that the application is required each year and must be filed after July 1^st to comply with USDA guidelines.

As a general rule of thumb, a family of 4 with an adjusted gross income of less than $57,720 would generally qualify for assistance. It is important to note that families that qualify for discounted meals also qualify for: reduced rates for Kid’s Zone care (LPS before and after school care program); a waiver for a student’s LPS provided device (laptop/iPad) insurance; and discounts for LPS testing and extracurricular fees. 

Even if you’ve applied before, or if you are unsure if your family qualifies, we encourage you to apply or reapply, especially if your household income changes during the year. Whether your situation is temporary or long-term, you can update your information at any time.

Please know that our LPS team is available to assist you through every step of the confidential application process. Also know that our team is very discreet and we work carefully to ensure the privacy of our families and our students.

The application is available online. Paper copies are printed and available at every school and at our office at 801 Kent St. in Liberty. 

We encourage all families interested in learning more about our Nutrition Services program to visit our website. There you can learn more about our menu options and how to set up an account with SchoolCafe, which accepts payments from families who do not qualify for free status.

For those families that do not qualify for free or reduced status, please be sure that your student’s account(s) are properly managed to minimize the collections work of our team and also to avoid any excessive debt which can require more formal steps to ensure resolution.

As a separate but related matter, the Liberty Cares Fund (managed by the Liberty Education Foundation) is committed to assisting families who have accumulated meal debt balances prior to qualifying for free or reduced meals. This partnership has provided tremendous support to families who qualify for discounted meals during the school year. Should you be interested in contributing to the Liberty Cares Fund, you can donate online. Thank you for your continued support of our schools, our community and our students.