Free and Reduced Meal Application and Information 2024-2025

  • In School Year 2024-2025, all students will receive free breakfast and lunch at school.  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has provided money to do this for another year through the State budget.

    Although all students will receive free breakfast and lunch this year, students that are deemed eligible via the Executive Office of Health & Human Services "Direct Certification" process or through the 2024-2025 Massachusetts Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals (see below) may also be eligible for:

    • Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) benefits if the Commonwealth extends this plan
    • Fee waivers for MERSD programs, including athletics, and transportation
    • Federal Communications Commission (FCC) broadband discounts
    • Free/reduced-price meal benefits for the first 30 days of next school year (2025-2026) if the Commonwealth does not continue offering free meals to all students next year

    If you received a letter this school year indicating that the Direct Certification process identified your child as eligible for free meals, no further action is necessary. 

    If you wish to access these additional benefits and received a letter this year indicating that the Direct Certification process identified your child as eligible for reduced-price meals or the Direct Certification process did not find your child eligible, we strongly encourage you to complete the attached CONFIDENTIAL application and send it to MERSD, attention Thom Couto, at P.O. Box 1407, Manchester, MA 01944.

    If you have multiple students in your family, you only need to fill out one application. Be sure to list each student on the application. All applications must be filled out completely, or they will be returned to you.

    All information contained on your application is kept strictly confidential, so please do not hesitate to apply if you have a financial need. If you have any questions about the application, contact the District office at 978-526-4919.

    Detailed instructions can be found here.