VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Volusia County Schools is issuing a reminder to parents about the upcoming deadline to submit applications for free and reduced lunches in an effort to secure critical funding for underprivileged schools.
So far, fewer families in the county have completed applications this year, which could negatively impact federal funding for public schools with a high poverty ranking, according to a news release from the school district.
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There are currently 44 Title 1 schools in Volusia County, according to the release. To make sure Title 1 schools don’t miss out on that federal funding, district officials said it’s imperative for families to fill out the Free and Reduced Meal Application no later than Friday, Feb. 12.
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The district is encouraging families to fill out an application even if they aren’t sure they’ll qualify.
The application is available online in English and Spanish and only takes a few minutes to fill out. Schools will have computers available to anyone who doesn’t have internet access and wants to fill out an application, district officials said.
The number of applications completed by the Feb. 12 deadline will be used by the Florida Department of Education to determine the poverty ranking of all public schools. Those rankings will then determine which schools qualify for Title 1 funding for next school year.
“Title I is designed to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain an education of the highest quality and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state achievement standards and state assessments,” officials wrote in the release.
Leticia Roman, VCS director of federal programs and grants development services, said the funding goes a long way to provide learning resources and opportunities for students.
“Many of our families don’t have the financial resources to provide the same educational materials, preschool opportunities, tutoring, and extracurricular learning experiences as other families,” Roman said. “In addition, Title I schools often have less community resources and support afforded to them.”
The federal Title 1 dollars are used to help fill the gaps the school district’s budget can’t cover on its own at Title 1 schools. The money can be used for additional textbooks and technology and for after-school programs, tutoring and Saturday learning camps, according to the release. Intervention teachers are also paid for through Title I, and schools can use their money to provide workshops to help parents play a stronger, more supportive role in their child’s education.