Free and Reduced Lunch Application - More than just a meal

About Free & Reduced Lunch Application

The Pulaski County Special School District operates a meal assistance program, which complies with federal guidelines. It's easy to apply for meal assistance, free or reduced price meals, for the breakfast and lunch programs.

  • Fill out the Free & Reduced Price Meal application online OR:

    • Pick up a Free & Reduced Price Meal application from your school office at registration, OR

    • Pick up a Free & Reduced Price Meal application from your Cafeteria Manager two days before school starts.

  • Fill out the application and return it to the school’s Cafeteria Manager or mail it to the Student Nutrition Department at: Pulaski County Special School District Student Nutrition Office 1101 A. East Dixon Rd, Little Rock, AR 72206.

  • Once the application is received, a determination will be made within ten (10) days to see if your student(s) qualifies for Free or Reduced Priced Meals. Qualification is based on household income and family size. A complete application will include income information by source, social security number and the signature of an adult household member.

  • Please keep a copy of application for your reference.

  • Until you receive a written notification letter from the Student Nutrition Department that your student is eligible for free or reduced priced meals, full payment must be made for each meal received. Notification from any other source, or any means other than written, is not valid.

If your student(s) were eligible for the Free or Reduced Priced Meals the previous school year, you have thirty (30) days after the first day of school to fill out a new application and for it to be approved. Otherwise the student(s) will be classified as a “Full Pay” student. After the lapse of thirty (30) days, full payment will be required if the new application has not been received and approved by the Student Nutrition Department.

Additional Benefits

Completing your application can help in many areas beyond just free or reduced price meals. These include:

  • Increased funding for schools to ensure students received the support they need and deserve

  • Discounts on fees associated with applying for college

  • Discounts on fees associated with academic tests such as the ACT, SAT and Advanced Placement (AP)

  • Discount on fees associated with participating in athletics programs in the district

  • Increased technology funds to improve internet access, wireless and network services

  • Receive discount on fees associated with some Pulaski County Community Education courses

FAQ

Can I apply any time during the year?

Not ready to apply at the beginning of the year? Financial status changes mid-way through the semester? Not a problem. The application can be filled out at any point and students status will be updated after the application gets processed. It’s never too late!

Is the process confidential?

You can trust that all of your information will remain confidential and only be used for determining eligibility for school meals. Once a student is approved for free or reduced-price meals, their status will also remain confidential so no student can be identified or singled out.

Is the application free?

The application only takes a few minutes to complete and is completely free. If you qualify, your student could be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. No need to spend money on lunch boxes or time preparing bagged lunches!

Are student meal options different based on application status?

The price of the meal is the ONLY thing that is reduced, all students are offered the same nutritious meal options.

Thanks to nationwide waivers for federally funded meal programs, school meals were free to all students through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. These waivers have expired, therefore PCSSD schools must charge for breakfast and lunch. Families can qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household income by submitting a meal application