Arcata, Big Lagoon, Blue Lake, Bridgeville, Cuddeback, Cutten, Eureka City Schools, Ferndale, Fieldbrook, Fortuna Elementary and High, Freshwater, Garfield, Humboldt County Office of Education, Hydesville, Jacoby Creek, Klamath-Trinity Joint Unified, Kneeland, Loleta, Maple Creek, Mattole, McKinleyville, Northern Humboldt Union High School, Orick, Pacific Union, Peninsula Union, Rio Dell, Scotia, South Bay Union, Southern Humboldt Unified and Trinidad Union School, Districts in Humboldt, California today announced that it will be serving meals to students under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2025-2026 school year. All students will be served breakfast and lunch at no charge under the California Universal Meals Program at the following sites:

Arcata Elementary School K-5, Sunny Brae Middle School 6-8, Big Lagoon School Tk-8, Blue Lake School Tk-8, Bridgeville School Tk-8, Cuddeback School Tk-8, Cutten Elementary School 3-6, Ridgewood School Tk-2, Alice Birney School Tk-5, Eureka High School 9-12, Grant School Tk-5, Lafayette School Tk-5, Washington School Tk-5, Winship Middle School 6-8, Winzler Children’s Center, Zane Middle School 6-8, Zoe Barnum High School, Ferndale Elementary School Tk-8, Ferndale High School 9-12, Fieldbrook School Tk-8, Fortuna High School 9-12, Fuente Nueva Charter, East High Fortuna, Academy Of The Redwoods, Freshwater School Tk-6, Garfield School Tk-6, Court & Community Schools, Glen Paul School, Hydesville School Tk-8, Jacoby Creek School K-8, Hoopa Valley Elementary School Tk-8, Hoopa Valley High School 9-12, Jack Norton Elementary School Tk-8, Orleans Elementary School Tk-8, Trinity, Valley Elementary School Tk-8, Weitchpec Elementary School Tk-3 Kneeland School Tk-8, Loleta School Tk-8, Maple Creek School Tk-8, Honeydew Elementary School Tk-6, Mattole Elementary School Tk-8, Mattole Triple Junction High School 9-12, Dow’s Prairie School Tk-2, Mckinleyville Middle 6-8, Morris Elementary 3-5, Arcata High School 9-12, Mckinleyville High School 9-12, Pacific Coast High School Alt., Six Rivers Charter,  High School, Mad River (Tsurai) High School Alt., Orick School Tk-8, Pacific Union School Tk-8, Pacific View Charter School, Peninsula School Tk-8, Eagle Prairie Elementary School Tk-5, Monument Middle School 6-8, Scotia School Tk-8, Pine Hill School Tk-3
South Bay School 4-6, Casterlin Elementary School Tk-8, Osprey Learning Center Alt, Miranda Junior High, Redway Elementary School Tk-7, South Fork High School 8-12, Whitethorn Elementary School Tk-7, Trinidad Elementary School Tk-8

For additional information, please contact:

• Roxanne Mellick
  Rmellick@HCOE.org
  707-445-7042
  901 Myrtle Ave Eureka CA 95501

While the program will offer free Universal Meals for all students, households will continue to be able to complete an application for free and reduced-price meals, which may support the school district’s local education funding and could also qualify the family for additional benefits. Community Eligibility Provision Schools will use the Alternative Income Survey and the Universal Benefits Application. Regardless of your determined eligibility status, your child will continue to receive free meals for the 2025-2026 school year.

(Click for an interactive version of the above chart.)

Households do not need to submit an application when the household receives a notification letter saying that all children automatically qualify for free meals when any household member receives benefits from SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR. Children who meet the definition of foster, homeless, migrant, or runaway, and children enrolled in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals. Contact school officials if any child in the household is not on the notification letter.

Applications will be sent to the household with a letter about the free and reduced-price meal program. Households that want to apply for meal benefits must fill out one application for all children in the household and give it to the nutrition office at your school. Contact School Officials for help filling out the application. The school will let you know if your application is approved or denied for free or reduced-price meals.

Households may turn in an application at any time during the school year. If you are not eligible now, but your household income goes down, household size goes up, or a household member starts receiving SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR, you may turn in an application at that time. Information given on the application will be used to determine eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by school officials. The last four digits of the Social Security number from any adult household or checking that you do not have a Social Security number is required if you include income on the application.

Households that receive Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals by filling out an application.

Foster children are eligible for free meals and may be included as a household member if the foster family chooses to also apply for the non-foster children on the same application. Including foster children as a household member may help the non-foster children qualify for free or reduced-price meals. If the non-foster children are not eligible, this does not keep foster children from receiving free meals.

Your child’s eligibility status from last school year will continue into the new school year for up to 30 school days or until the school processes your new application, or your child is otherwise certified for free or reduced-price meals.

If you do not agree with the decision or results of verification, you may discuss it with school officials. You also have the right to a fair hearing, which may be requested by calling or writing the hearing official. Please contact your school’s district office.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027 (PDF), found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866-632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. mail:
   S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
2. fax:
   202-690-7442; or
3. email:
   Intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.