Food Service

Free and Reduced Price Meals Application Now Open for 2024-2025 School Year

The free and reduced price meal application for the 2024-2025 school year is now open. 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. Applications are available online at: www.PaySchoolsCentral.com

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 this 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 2024-2025 school year opened on July 1, 2024. Please fill out the 2023-2024 application now if you would like to be considered for the S-EBT program for this summer. 

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.

Congratulations to the Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green Middle School, Conneaut, and Crim Elementary Food Service Staff for earning the 2024 Clean Plate Award!

Some of the criteria to earn this award:

• No Confirmed Foodborne Illness associated with the facility within the past two years
• No Administrative Hearings between the facility and Health Department in the past two years
• No Confirmed Complaints at the facility in the past two years
• Zero Critical inspection violations
• Two or fewer Non-Critical inspection violations