Yes! All Gates Chili students can receive breakfast and lunch every school day at no charge. This applies to all Gates Chili schools, Imagination Childcare Academy and the following BOCES program locations: Ridgecrest Academy, Westside Academy and Westview Exceptional Children. These meals are free for students thanks to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). 

The CEP is a provision under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that allows schools and local educational agencies in low-income areas to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students.

Students experiencing hunger struggle to focus and engage, have lower school attendance than their peers and are at greater risk of mental and physical health problems. Providing free meals for all students — regardless of income — is a proven strategy to reduce food insecurity, improve mental and physical health, support students’ ability to thrive academically, and bolster educational, health, and economic equity.

While families do not have to complete any forms for their student(s) to receive free meals at school, the Income Eligibility Form, formerly known as the Free and Reduced Meal Application, is tied to other important benefits for students. These include fee waivers for advanced placement exams, dual-credit tuition assistance, state funding and more. State funding helps offset costs that keep local taxes reasonable while providing great programs and services for our students. Historically, this application has also been tied to P-EBT benefits. Those forms are available at gateschili.org/FreeReducedApp or in the district’s school nutrition office at Gates Chili Middle School, 2 Spartan Way, Rochester, NY 14624. Applications are accepted throughout the school year. Please submit forms as soon as possible for processing.

The form is available on our website as a fillable PDF, which can be emailed or printed and sent to the Gates Chili School Nutrition Department, 2 Spartan Way, Rochester, NY 14624. Additionally, this fall, the form will be available to complete electronically through MySchoolApps.

Even if your student has never qualified for free meals before, the availability of free meals to every student is a benefit that families are encouraged to utilize. Every school includes whole grains and fresh fruit and/or vegetables. Check out our menus online at gateschili.org/menus and encourage your student to try something new!

Yes. Students will still check out at the register for meal process and to ensure allergy tracking for each student.

Yes. Individual breakfast and lunch items such as drinks, snacks, ice cream and other items will still be available for purchase using student meals accounts. Those purchases are managed through the district’s purchasing platform, MySchoolBucks. Accounts can be accessed online or through the MySchoolBucks app available for both Apple and Android devices. This service allows families to view account balances, deposit funds using a credit card or electronic check and view purchase history. Families can also send in cash or check to be added to student meal accounts.

For any assistance with free meals or completing the Income Eligibility Form, please reach out to the School Nutrition Department at (585) 247-5050 ext. 31402.