Reminder: Multipurpose Family Income Forms Due Oct. 31

Dear iLEAD Antelope Valley families,

We are writing with a reminder about the Multipurpose Family Income Form. This form needs to be filled out for every learner and submitted each year by October 31st. It can be submitted in a variety of ways. You can fill it out via a fillable PDF (click here) and email it to us, fill out a paper form and drop it off at the front office, or — in our newest, completely digital way — you can complete it via the My MealTime online platform. This option ensures the confidentiality of your form and can be done from home. Please email all forms ASAP. If you have any questions, call 661-705-4820 ext. 1063.

Some people have heard that it is necessary to fill out this form only if you want your child to qualify for free or reduced-price school breakfast and/or lunch. The truth is that it is important for EVERY family to fill out this form because doing so helps bring much-needed additional money and services directly to our school!

Our school receives funding from the state and federal governments to support the needs of low-income learners. For each learner who qualifies for free or reduced-price breakfast/lunch, our school receives thousands of additional dollars in funding. Studies show that many eligible students, in particular middle school and high school students, do not complete this form each year, leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for our school on the table. Even a small increase in eligible forms collected results in significantly more money to support our learners and school.

What is the Multipurpose Family Income Form?

This form collects basic information about your learner so our school can determine their eligibility for free or reduced-price breakfast/lunch, and also so that our school can qualify to receive extra money and programs. You may have heard this form referred to in the past as the School Meal Application Form or School Lunch Form. The name has changed because it is really about more than school breakfast/lunch.

What if my child doesn’t want to eat school breakfast/lunch? Why should I fill out the form?

Even if your child chooses to bring their own breakfast/lunch or snack or if they eat lunch at home, filling out the form is very important! It ensures that our school gets all of the funding and benefits available to support facilitators and learners. Also, even if your child does not eat school breakfast/lunch, learners who qualify for free breakfast/lunch also can receive other benefits, including the following:

• Free/reduced bus costs (as available)
• Reduced fees for SAT and ACT tests and college applications

How does filling out the Multipurpose Family Income Form help our school?

Schools get more money in their budgets to support learners. Our school qualifies to receive more money per learner from the state and federal government, which they can pass on to our school.

Help! The form is confusing!

Income information: Some parents have asked whether they need to provide this information if they know they are not eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The form does require that families enter income. This information is not shared and is required for those seeking free or reduced-price meal eligibility. However, a family that does not wish to be considered for eligibility may fill out a form, complete learner information in step 1, write “do not qualify” in the first box in step 3, and then complete the name, signature, and datelines in step 4.

Last 4 digits of Social Security Number: If you don’t have a Social Security Number or don’t want to submit the last 4 digits of your social, you can check the box that says “don’t have one” and still be eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast/lunch.

Is the Information I submit confidential?

The information you submit on the Multipurpose Family Income Form cannot be shared by our school.

Personal information submitted on the form is not shared with the state or federal government; only the number of learners who qualify for free or reduced breakfast/lunch is shared.

Facilitators are not told which learners qualify for free or reduced breakfast/lunch benefits.

Our school does not share information with other organizations that provide benefits. But if your child does qualify for free or reduced-price breakfast/lunch, you may use the eligibility form provided by our school to qualify for other benefits through providers.

If your child qualifies and chooses to eat breakfast/lunch at school, the process is the same as it is for a learner who is paying full price.

How do I access the payment/application system?

Our school allows families to deposit funds and fill out applications online via My MealTime. If you don’t already have an account, please visit ileadav.org/school-lunch-program for directions, or see attached instructions to set up your My MealTime account today.

What if I still have questions?

If you run into any problems, you can always contact the staff at our school for individual assistance. You can reach them by calling 661-494-7442 or emailing info@ileadav.org.

We thank you for your continued support of iLEAD Antelope Valley!

The iLEAD AV Leadership Team

Please Read:

Printable Free and Reduced Price Meal Application (English/Spanish)

Fillable Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application

My MealTime Online Application Instructions