News Courier Staff
In last week’s Aug. 12 edition of The Knox County News-Courier, we mistakenly included Benjamin ISD as being part of the Community Eligibility Program (CEP). To be clear, the Benjamin ISD is not operating under the CEP program. Please see the policy below.
The News-Courier apologizes for this error and any inconvenience to the Benjamin ISD, parents and students
Texas Dept. of Agriculture
Benjamin ISD announced its policy today for providing free and reduced-price meals for children served under the attached current income eligibility guidelines. Each school/site or the central office has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by anyone on request.
Starting July 20 Benjamin ISD began distributing letters to the households of the children in the district eligibility benefits and any actions households need to take to apply for these benefits. Applications also are available at Benjamin ISD.
Categorical or Program Eligibility
Benjamin ISD is working with local agencies to identify all children who are categorically and program eligible. Benjamin ISD will notify the households of these children that they do not need to complete an application. Any household that does not receive a letter and feels it should have should contact the school.
Any household that wishes to decline benefits should contact Benjamin ISD.
Applications may be submitted anytime during the school year. The information households provide on the application will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility. Applications may also be verified by the school officials at any time during the school year.
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/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.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; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.