The Student Nutrition Programs of the Belen Consolidated Schools are once again offering hot, nutritious meals to students throughout the district. Because we want to make sure meals are available to ALL students, we are encouraging parents and/or guardians to please fill out the new 2011-2012 Meal Benefits Application that will be available at Belen High School, Belen Middle School, Dennis Chavez Elementary, La Merced Elementary, Gil Sanchez Elementary and Family School. The application can alos be downloaded from the Files catergory on this page. 

If we receive 100% of the applications back for each site and at least 80% of those qualify for meal benefits, we can then go Provision 2 which allows all students to receive free breakfast and/or lunch without regard to family income. Students at Jaramillo, Central, Rio Grande, La Promesa and Infinity are currently on Provision 2 and do not have to re-apply.

Students attending Belen High, Belen Middle, Family School, Dennis Chavez, Gil Sanchez and La Merced Elementary will be in the same price category as they were in the 2010-2011 school year. Once a new application has been submitted, their category may change. If a new application is not submitted prior to September 30, 2011, benefits will be lost and students will be charged full-price.

Meals will be available at all schools beginning on Wednesday, August 10, 2011. Elementary breakfast is $1.25, while secondary breakfast is $1.50. Lunch for elementary is $1.50 and $1.75 for secondary schools. The price for adult meals will remain the same as last year: $2.25 for breakfast and $3.00 for lunch.

The "After School Snack Program" will continue for those sites choosing to participate.
 
The Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Program will once again be at all the elementary schools. Federal Grant money is now available to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to be used in conjunction with nutrition education in the classroom. This project cannot be combined with breakfast or lunch.

The Meal Benefit application count is also used to generate money for programs such as Technology and Title I. Individual schools can receive E-Rate funding for computers and/or software, textbooks, etc. It all depends on the percentage of free and reduced-price students at their school. Another great reason for completing the applications!