Lunch Applications benefits students with $300,000

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Adriana Benitez in News

Adriana Benitez
Chronicle Reporter
After losing about $300,000 last year because not enough students turned in meal applications, administrators took no chances this year.
The start of the 2014 school year was persistent on students to turn in their meal applications on time in attempt to increase the school’s revenue. For this reason locker combinations were dependent on applications. No lunch application meant no locker. As a result, most students found it imperative to turn in a lunch application.
New Assistant Principal Dr. Travis Brandy announced at the first senior assembly that he would track down every senior that had not turned in their lunch application.
“I went on ahead and ran a report that gave me a list of all seniors who had not turned in their lunch applications,” Brandy said. “And I called everybody in one by one into the office…gave them a deadline to turn it in.”
Between Sept. 3-19, he collected 100 applications from the senior class. To date, 84% of seniors turned their meal applications.
Meal applications status reads: 85.5% (1,334) of all students submitted applications, in which 73.77% (1,182) qualified, as of Sept. 20. The school’s Title 1 allocation for this year is $325,000.
This money is used for teacher professional development, substitutes’ pay, activities for parents, teachers’ aid, school supplies, etc. “Everybody benefits from Title 1 funding, ” said
For the first time this year, students were able to submit applications online. This new alternative made it convenient for parents and students to get it done faster rather than wait for the mailing process.
The Los Angeles Unified School District reviews the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch and determines the amount of money the school will get for the Reading Coach Laura Cavalli, compared to other schools who only focus on their Title 1 students.
Students are encouraged to submit their meal applications as soon as possible. For it is not only for the school’s interest but the students as well. Not only will students receive a free or reduced lunch, but they benefit from SAT/ACT and AP Test fee waivers. Moreover, they are able to receive their locker combinations, an issue that many struggled with.
“First and foremost the purpose of meal applications is to provide food for students,” Cavalli said. She claims that students who eat lunch are more alert and successful academically.This is will increase overall school performance.
The constant reminder for students to turn in lunch applications was not meant to be a nuisance or a burden but rather a benefit for the whole school.