Food Service

Free and Reduced Price Meals Application for the 2025-2026 School Year Opened July 1, 2025. 

The free and reduced price meal application for the 2025-2026 school year opened July 1. If your child received free or reduced price meals last year, you must complete a new form this school year. Bowling Green City Schools participates in the National School Lunch Program providing free and reduced lunches to qualified students. Review income eligibility guidelines for 2025-2026 here. 

Applications are available at: www.PaySchoolsCentral.com
A paper application is available here. 

Read the Frequently Asked Questions regarding Free and Reduced price meals here. 

Meals must be paid for until your application is approved. You will receive a response within 10 business days. Please save your notification letter to receive a waiver for school fees. There is a random verification process each year when you may be asked to submit proof of income.

Free or reduced status is good for the entire school year. There is no need to report a change in income to your school. Directly certified students will receive a letter from the food service office within the first two weeks of August. If you do not receive a letter, you will need to apply online.

A Note for Crim Elementary Families:

Crim Elementary will participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) under the National
School Lunch Program (NSLP). Under this option, all children in the school receive a breakfast/lunch
at no charge regardless if they complete this form. However, to determine eligibility for various
additional state and federal program benefits that your child’s school may qualify for, please
complete, sign and return this application to your school building if your income falls within or below
the guidelines listed in the chart.

Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (S-EBT) Program

The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (S-EBT) Program provides eligible children with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during summer break. If your child receives free or reduced-price school meals, they're automatically eligible! If you receive government benefits such as SNAP, Ohio Works First, TANF, Medicaid Free, or Medicaid Reduced, your students ages 6-18 may automatically be eligible for the S-EBT benefit.

It's not too late to apply for free and reduced-price school meals! Apply now to be considered for S-EBT benefits this summer! Visit PaySchoolsCentral.com to apply. It is important to go into FinalForms and verify that your address is current and that any custody information is correct. 

For more information about the S-EBT Program, click here.

If you have any questions after reviewing the linked document above, please contact Food Service Director Tabitha Hiler-Young at thiler-young@bgcs.k12.oh.us

Note: The free and reduced school meal application for the 2025-2026 school year opened on July 1, 2025. Please fill out the 2024-2025 application now if you would like to be considered for the S-EBT program for this summer. 

Additional information for Crim families about applying for S-EBT can be found here. 

The Wood County Health Department Clean Plate Award is a voluntary program that recognizes Food Service Operations and Retail Food Establishments for their dedication to excellent food sanitation and food safety knowledge.

We are proud to congratulate our Food Service Director Tabitha Hiler-Young, our cafeteria managers Kathy West (BGHS), Ashley Bodi (BGMS), Nicole Reilly (Conneaut), Julie Clauson (Crim), and Sherrie Sparks (Kenwood), and all of our dedicated food service staff at ALL five of our schools for earning the 2025 Clean Plate Award from the Wood County Health Department!

Out of more than 800 licensed food facilities in Wood County, only 35 were selected to receive this prestigious recognition—and all five of our schools made the list! This award honors excellence in sanitation and food safety, and reflects the exceptional standards upheld by our food service teams every day.

As Lana Glore, Director of Environmental Services at the Wood County Health Department, stated:

“The Clean Plate Award indicates to the consumer that the facility takes pride in food safety... and goes above and beyond the minimum food safety standards.”

Each school cafeteria received:

A Certificate of Excellence
 A Clean Plate Award decal to proudly display
 Recognition for outstanding performance in food safety

Thank you to our food service teams for your hard work, commitment, and care—you help keep our students safe, healthy, and well-fed.