The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operated by Petaluma City Schools Food Services. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.

No, you only need to fill out one application per household.

You can submit an application for the National School Lunch Program in either of the following ways:

• (1a) Online application: Go to Titan School Solutions and click “Apply For Meals Today”, then find your district/school, and complete the application. Once you finish, you're done!
  —OR—
• (1b) Paper/PDF application: Complete the 2021-22 Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals form (PDFs linked below) and return it to your school office.
  • Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals - 2021-22 - English
  • Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals - 2021-22 - Spanish
  • Letter to Families - 2021-22 - English
  • Letter to Families - 2021-22 - Spanish

Yes, we need a new application each year.

All meals, breakfast and lunch, are free for everyone, regardless of how your family qualifies.

To see if you qualify, please refer to the California Department of Education's 2021-22 Income Eligibility Guidelines. You and/or your children do not need to be U.S. citizens to qualify for free or reduced-price meals. All information submitted as part of these applications is confidential.

NOTE: If any of the following apply, your child may already qualify for free or reduced-price meals:

• All children in households receiving benefits from CalFresh, CalWORKs, or FDPIR are eligible for free meals.
• Foster children under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals.
• Children participating in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
• Children who meet the definition of homeless, migrant, or runaway are eligible for free meals.

Not necessarily but if you are not 100% sure whether or not you qualify, please complete one.

No, you do not need to provide proof of income for this application.

Eligible students may receive meals at the reduced-price rate of $.40 for lunch and $.30 for breakfast. Students may buy lunch for $3.50 at the Elementary sites and $4.00 in the Junior Highs and High Schools. Breakfast is $2.00 at the Elementary schools and $2.75 at the Junior Highs and High Schools.

LINQ is the program that the District uses to manage the meal application process and student meal payments.