Free and Reduced Price Meals & CEP

Free/Reduced Application General Information

You must complete a new Free/Reduced Meal Application every year!
If you qualified for free/reduced priced meals last school year, you have until October 1st to submit a new application.
Online applications are available through Family Access and will be processed the quickest.
Please allow up to 10 business days for our office to process your application. You will receive a yellow letter in the mail notifying you of your eligibility and the type of benefits you qualify for (free or reduced).
Students currently receiving SNAP/TANF do not need to complete a new application. The Office of Student Nutrition will be directly notified by DSS.
Students who received SNAP/TANF or free/reduced-price meals during the 2023-2024 school year have until October 1st to submit a new application.
Note: It could take up to 10 days to process & approve your application. Your student must pay for his/her lunch or bring a lunch from home until the application is approved.

Ways to Complete a Free/Reduced Application

If you believe your student qualifies for free or reduced-price meals based on the income eligibility guidelines below (and have not yet completed an application this school year), please complete an application today! Only one application needs to be submitted per household.

Online Applications

Online Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications are available through Family Access. Please check out this helpful video on how to fill out your online application.

Paper Applications

Paper applications can be obtained at the Student Nutrition Office or downloaded here. Completed paper applications can be returned via:

Mail to 851 West Street, Rapid City, SD 57701
Dropbox outside the North-facing door
In-person during business hours (7 AM – 3:30 PM)

Please note that applications cannot be completed through the LINQ Connect App.

If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out. Also, please check out this helpful video on how to fill out your application.

Please check out this video to help you complete an ONLINE application.

*Start at 2:53 for step-by-step instructions*

Please check out this video to help you complete a PAPER application.

Other Helpful Information Regarding Free and Reduced Priced Meals:

Free and Reduced Informational Flyer

24-25 Meal Prices

Breakfast	Lunch
Elementary School	$2.40	$3.15
Middle School	$2.45	$3.50
High School	$2.50	$3.65

Community Eligibility Provision

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. CEP allows high poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.

2024-2025 CEP Schools: General Beadle, Horace Mann, Knollwood, North Middle School, Robbinsdale, and South Park

What does this mean for you and your students attending CEP schools?

Your student will receive breakfast and lunch at no charge without having to pay a fee or submit a Free and Reduced Price Meals Application.

No further action is required UNLESS you also have students who do NOT attend the above schools and you’d like to submit a Free and Reduced Meals Application for them. Please include all students (attending CEP or non-CEP schools) on your application, as they are all included in your household.

*NOTE: If your child transfers to a non-CEP school (a school NOT listed above) during the school year you will be responsible for their meal charges. We encourage you to fill out a Free and Reduced Price Meals Application if you think you may qualify.

Student Nutrition - Questions From the Public