Tennessee Announces 2009-10 School Meal Guidelines

Wednesday, July 01, 2009 | 07:54am

Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Department of Education today announced the 2009-10 federal income guidelines for free and reduced price meals for children in Tennessee schools as determined by the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA’s school meals programs help ensure all students have access to a nutritious diet.

“Research indicates that eating habits affect students performance, so we know a hungry child has a difficult time learning,” Education Commissioner Timothy Webb said. “School meals are a healthy option for students and can be the fuel our children need to improve their learning opportunities.”

Below are the federal income eligibility guidelines effective from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010:

Household Size	FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES	REDUCED PRICE MEALS – 185%					FREE MEALS – 130%
Household Size	Annual	Annual	Monthly	Twice Per Month	Every Two Weeks	Weekly	Annual	Monthly	Twice Per Month	Every Two Weeks	Weekly
48 CONTIGUOUS STATES, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GUAM, AND TERRITORIES
1	10,830	20,036	1,670	835	771	386	14,079	1,174	587	542	271
2	14,570	26,955	2,247	1,124	1,037	519	18,941	1,579	790	729	365
3	18,310	33,874	2,823	1,412	1,303	652	23,803	1,984	992	916	458
4	22,050	40,793	3,400	1,700	1,569	785	28,665	2,389	1,195	1,103	552
5	25,790	47,712	3,976	1,988	1,836	918	33,527	2,794	1,397	1,290	645
6	29,530	54,631	4,553	2,277	2,102	1,051	38,389	3,200	1,600	1,477	739
7	33,270	61,550	5,130	2,565	2,386	1,184	43,251	3,605	1,803	1,664	832
8	37,010	68,469	5,706	2,853	2,634	1,317	48,113	4,010	2,005	1,851	926
For each additional family member, add	3,740	6,919	577	289	267	134	4,862	406	203	187	94

For basic facts about free and reduced price means, please visit http://snp.state.tn.us/.

"The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer."

For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.
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