• NEW EMAIL ADDRESS - We have a new email address!  If you have free and reduced questions, you can email us at KidsEat@usd259.net
• TOP 5 - We have identified the top 5 things you need to know about for free and reduced.  See 1 through 5 below

We strongly encourage all parents/guardians to submit a Free and Reduced Meal Benefit Application.  Applications may be completed online and take less than 10 minutes.  You only need to complete one application for your household.  Here is what you will need:

• It is helpful to have each of your students' ID's before you start the application process, but not required. 
• How many people live in your household?
• Name of everyone who lives in your household
• Approximate income per person

You may complete and submit an online application for meal benefits by using one of the following methods:

1. Click the orange picture/link above
2. Go to the Titan Parent Portal family.titank12.com on your computer or phone (We advise using Google Chrome. Titan is optimized for using this browser.).  You can apply by:
   1. Clicking "Log in" (see Titan Parent Portal section for why we recommend this method) OR
   2. Click "Apply for Meals Today"
3. Download the Titan Family Connect app from your app store

Important: Make sure you enter “Wichita Public Schools” for your district.

FOSTER/INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD

If you have foster child/ren or institutionalized child/ren, please refer to those sections for specific guidance on those two special circumstances.

Click on one of the links below for further instructions or information:

VIDEOS

• How to Apply for Free and Reduced Meal Benefits Using Titan Parent Portal
• How to Fill out a Free and Reduced Meal Benefits Paper Application
• How to Create a Titan Parent Portal Account
• How to Link Students to your Titan Account
  

INSTRUCTIONS

• Online Free and Reduced Meal Benefits Application Instructions
• Figuring Income for Free and Reduced Meal Benefits Online Applications
• Free and Reduced Meal Benefits Paper Application Instructions
• How to Create a Titan Parent Portal Account 
• How to Link Students to your Titan Parent Portal Account
• How to Add Money to your student's account in Titan Parent Portal (Student must be linked)

CONTACT US

• Email us at:  KidsEat@usd259.net 
• Call us at:  316.973.2160

• If you submitted an Online Free and Reduced Meal Benefits Application through your registered Titan Parent Portal account, then you will be able to:
  • See proof of your submission and where it is in the approval process
  • View your status letter, once your application is processed.
• If you supplied your email address on your application:
  • Directly after submitting your application, you will receive an email from LinQ with a confirmation code, stating that you will need to send money with your children to purchase meals and the application could take 10 days for determination.
  • Once your application is processed, you will receive an email from LinQ with a status letter for your students.

STEP 1 - CONSENT FOR DISCLOSURE 

The Consent for Disclosure is a form that parents complete during the district's online enrollment (enrollment website), but can be changed at anytime during the year.  This form allows you to control if and how meal eligibility status can be shared by Nutrition Services to reduce your student's fees for other programs, including textbook and enrollment fees. Consent is by student, not by household.  (Click here to see an example)

• If "no" is checked, then your student's status cannot be shared with other programs. This also means that your student is not eligible for reduced school fees.
• If "yes" is checked, you must also elect what programs you want your student's eligibility shared with. This includes school fees.

STEP 2 - PRESENT PROOF OF STATUS 

Parents can voluntarily present one of the following options to the bookkeeper to have their textbook fees waived:  

LETTER OF ELIGIBILITY

• • You can show the eligibility letter from your phone (in Titan Parent Portal) or from your email (Click here to see an example). 

  • You can also bring the mailed letter or a printed copy physically to the school.

  • The letter must have a date of 7/1/22 or later (in the 2022-23 school year) for it to be considered.

TITAN PARENT PORTAL STUDENT STATUS

• • You can show your student's eligibility status from your Titan Parent Portal account from your phone (Click here to see an example). 

  • The status must have an expiration date of Sep 2023 for it to be considered.

ONLINE APPLICATION CONFIRMATION

• • You can show the online application confirmation from your phone on your Titan Parent Portal account or as a screenshot (Click here to see an example). 
  • You can also bring a printed copy physically to the school.
  • The confirmation must show the Academic Year as 2022/2023 for it to be considered.

NO PROOF AVAILABLE

• • If you don't have any of the above readily available, the bookkeeper will look to see if you have completed a Consent for Disclosure and marked "yes" to share for reduction of fees.  They will also look to see if your free and reduced meal benefits application was processed and your status is available for viewing.  If both of those have occurred, the bookkeeper can use your status to determine your reduced fees.
  • If you don't have any of the above readily available and the bookkeeper cannot see your shared status, you will need to either pay full fees or use the “agreement to pay”​.  

Parent letters are sent every year, around the middle of July. They contain frequently asked questions such as how to apply for free/reduced meal benefits and how to qualify for reduced-priced text book fees. Click the link above to view the annual parent letter.

Eligibility letters (meal status) are sent when student eligibility changes. If you need to request another eligibility letter, please click on the link.  Please note, that letter requests can take up to 2 weeks, depending on the time of year your request is received.

• Why do I need a student ID number when I apply online? Can I just enter their name and DOB? You can enter just the student’s name and date of birth. But, if you enter the student ID as well as the EXACT student name and date of birth (as shown in ParentVue or on your linked student) it will potentially allow for instant status processing.
• Can I use my cell phone to fill out an Online Meal Benefit Application? Absolutely! You can use your cell phone to apply in one of two ways.

1. 1. Download the Titan Family Connect App on your phone.
   2. Visit the Titan Parent Portal by either clicking on a link or going to family.titank12.com. The Titan Parent Portal is mobile responsive, which makes using your phone or tablet easy!  Make sure you are using Google Chrome as a browser.

• How do I get instant status processing for my students? You can receive instant status for your student(s) if all of the following apply:
  • You have created a Titan Parent Portal account.
  • You have submitted your Free and Reduced Meal Benefits Application online through your Titan Parent Portal account.
  • You entered your student’s information EXACTLY as it appears on your linked student in the Titan Parent Portal. This includes your student’s ID, First Name, Last Name and Date of Birth.
  • There is no reason for the application to be held for review (such as an issue).
• What happens if I don't receive instant status? What should I do? Make sure you print the online application confirmation page after submitting your online household application so it can be shown to the bookkeeper. See the How Do I Get Reduced-Priced Fees Section for further details.

• Can I go back if I make a mistake on my online application? Once you submit the application, you can no longer make changes. You can go back and add/correct information to the application any time before you submit the application.
• What if I submit an online application and I don't realize I made a mistake until later? Please contact the Nutrition Services Department to request a change to your application.  You may be directed to submit another application or a correction might be made, depending on the issue.  Submission of a new application doesn't necessarily fix the issue.  
• What if I have a case number? When you enter the application and indicate a case number, your application will be processed normally.  Your case number will be reviewed for validity and if it is found not valid, you will be notified. If you have a case number from another state, please type the name of the state directly after the case number.
• What will happen if I keep applying until I get the status I want? If you apply a specific number of times in a row, your household will be flagged and will be required to verify your application information.
• How does Nutrition Services determine which application is correct if I submit more than one? The last application with the greatest status is used.  If you have a change in household income or size, you may reapply for greater meal benefits status.  

GENERAL INFORMATION

• What is the Titan Parent Portal?  The Titan Parent Portal is a system used by parents to apply for free and reduced meal benefits, make online meal payments, and to monitor and regulate their students' spending.
• How do I get Titan Parent Portal?  Easy!  You can go to family.titank12.com on your computer or phone (make sure you are using Google Chrome as your browser) or you can download the Titan Family Connect app from your app store.
• What can I do on the Titan Parent Portal?

  Here is a list of what you will be able to do when we go live with Titan:

  • Apply for meal benefits
  • Pay for meals
  • Track student purchases
  • Check balances
  • Receive low balance alerts
  • Set spending limits
  • Set no buy items
  • Transfer money between your linked students
• Are there instructions for the Titan Parent Portal?  Yes!  Go to the Need Help? section of this page to find more information.
• What information do I need to create a Titan Parent Portal account?   All you need is a valid email address (you will be required to authenticate your email by clicking a link sent via email after signing up for an account)
• What information do I need to link my students to my Titan Parent Portal account?  Your student's Student ID and Student Name (exactly as it is in ParentVue).  If you need additional help, please contact your child’s school or Nutrition Services at 973-2160 or KidsEat@usd259.net.
• Are the Titan Parent Portal, App, and/or website available in other languages?  Yes.  In the Titan Parent Portal, under Profile, there is an option to choose other languages.  The district will offer both English and Spanish to start.
• Is there more than one account I will need to setup for Titan Parent Portal, App and/or website?   No, the parent account is the same throughout.
• Should I wait until enrollment to create a Parent Portal Account?  NO!  It will save you time and hassle at enrollment.
• Is the Titan Parent Portal secure?  Absolutely!  Titan is protected by 256 bit SSL encryption between all browsers and their centralized data center.

FREE AND REDUCED MEAL BENEFIT APPLICATION

• Do I need a Titan Parent Portal account to fill out a free and reduced meal benefit application?  No.  We still want to encourage you to create an account.  Once your application/direct certification is processed by Nutrition Services, you have the ability to see status changes as they occur on your linked students, ability to pay for student meals, set spending limits and no buy items, as well as transfer money between your students. 
• Do I have to create a Titan Parent Portal account to apply online for meal benefits? No. We do encourage you to create a parent account as there are MANY benefits, including the ability to see your status on your phone and use it for consideration of reduced school fees.
• Do I have to create a Titan Portal account to receive a status notification? No. If you don’t have a Titan Parent Portal account you will receive your notification via email if an email address is provided, otherwise by snail mail.
• Do I need an account if I'm directly certified? Once your direct certification is processed by Nutrition Services, you have the ability to see status changes as they occur on your linked students, as well as all the great things listed above that you can do in Titan.

MEAL PAYMENTS

• Will I have to pay a fee when I pay for meals with a Titan Parent Portal account?  Currently, parents are not charged a fee for using Titan Parent Portal.
• How quickly after I make a payment will it be available for my student to use?  Immediately.

If a student attends, but does not live in an institution, they are considered to be a member of the household in which s/he resides as a foster student..

YOU MUST complete the following steps in order to ensure your foster children receive FREE meals!*

1. CONTACT - Contact the Nutrition Services Department (contact information at the bottom of this page) to inquire whether the student(s) in question could be considered Directly Certified by the state. If the student can be Directly Certified, the Nutrition Services Department will let you know immediately. Once they process your student, they will be FREE*.
2. APPLY - If the Nutrition Services Department cannot Directly Certify your student, then you (foster parent) will need to fill out a Free and Reduced Meal Benefits Application. The fastest way to do this would be online (link above). Make sure that you mark your student(s) as a foster student. The caseworker cannot fill out an application.
3. CONFIRMATION – You will receive a notification from the Nutrition Services Department informing you of your student’s FREE meal benefit status. If you were told that the student could be directly certified, you should receive your notice within 1 week. If you applied for meal benefits, you should receive your notice within 2 weeks of submitting your application.

*You are responsible for any charges that occur before your student(s) are processed

Click here to view the current school year's income eligibility guidelines.

• Once the completed form is received, the students will be processed FREE.  
• It is important to note that your institution is responsible for any charges that occur before the submission of their information. 
• Your institution will receive a notification from Nutrition Services and/or LinQ informing you of the student’s FREE meal benefit status. You should receive the notice within 1 week via email and/or mail.

Verification of free and reduced-price meal applications is an annual federal requirement for all local education agencies (LEAs) that collect eligibility applications to determine free and reduced-price meal benefits for students.

SELECTION
How do I know if I've been selected?  If you received a letter with the title "Confirm Your Eligibility for Free/Reduced Price Meals", you have been selected for verification.  If you are unsure, please contact our office (see contact us)

ACTION REQUIRED

If you are selected, you will need to send the requested information to Nutrition Services.  The documents will verify you are eligible for free/reduced-priced meals.  

 WHAT TO SUBMIT

• • FA, TAF, FDPIR - If you or someone in your household are receiving benefits from Food Assistance (FA), Temporary Assistance for Families (TAF) or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR benefits) at the time of application, or any time since, please send us your FA, TAF, or FDPIR Certification Notice that shows dates of certification OR you can send a letter from the FA, TAF, or FDPIR office that shows dates of certification. Do not send your EBT card. If you send us one of the above documents, you are DONE. You do NOT need to send anything else.
  • Homeless/Migrant: Contact Cynthia Martinez (homeless liaison) at 316.973.4670 or Shannon Benoit (migrant liaison) at 316.866.8043 for help.
  • Foster Child: Send documentation that verifies your child is the legal responsibility of the agency or court OR provide the name and contact information for a person at the agency or court who can verify your child’s foster status.
  • None of the Above: Return the verification selection letter along with documentation of your household’s sources of income for either the month before application, or any month since. Document(s) must show:
    • • Name of person who received the income
      • Date received
      • Amount received
      • How often it was received

SOURCES OF INCOME:

• • Jobs: Paycheck stubs that show the amount and how often pay is received (2 consecutive pay stubs required if frequency is not indicated); letter from employer stating gross wages and how often you are paid; or, if you work for yourself, business or farming papers, such as a ledger or tax books.   
  • Social Security, Pensions, or Retirement: Social Security retirement benefit letter, statement of benefits received, or pension award notice. socialsecurity.gov/myaccount
  • Unemployment, Disability, or Worker’s Compensation: Notice of eligibility from State employment security office, check stub, or letter from the Worker’s Compensation office.  GetKansasBenefits.gov
  • Welfare Payments: Benefit letter from the DCF office.
  • Child Support or Alimony: Court decree, agreement, or copies of checks received. http://www.kspaycenter.com/
  • All Other Income (Such as Rental Income): Information that shows the amount of the income, name of the person who receives the income, the date it was received, and how often it was received.
  • Military Housing Privatization Initiative: Letter or rental contract showing that your housing is part of the Military Privatized Housing Initiative.
  • If you do not have income, please send a brief note explaining how you provide food, clothing, and housing for your household, and when you expect an income.
  • If you work on a seasonal basis, call us and we will help you figure out what to send.

HOW TO SUBMIT

• • Take pictures of the requested documents with your phone/camera and email them to KidsEat@usd259.net. 
  • Mail documents to Nutrition Services, 3850 N. Hydraulic, Wichita, KS 67219.  If possible, send copies. Or fax to 316-973-2162.
  • Come in person to the Nutrition Services office located at 3850 N. Hydraulic, Wichita, KS 67219 to drop off the documents
  • You may also return these documents to your child/children’s school. 
    • For elementary, K-8, and special schools, return to the Satellite Cashier in the school office.
    • For middle school and high school, return to the Cafeteria Manager in the school cafeteria.

NON-COMPLIANCE
What if I don't send in my information or ignore the notice?  Your student(s) will stop receiving free or reduced-price meals as well have their reduction of school fees re-evaluated.

QUESTIONS

For questions or help, please contact Nutrition Services (see contact us section)

For the Board Policy regarding the Collection of Food Services Monies Click Here

1. Why are there 2 payment systems (for meals and fees)? The district has made the decision to maintain 2 payment systems. Titan is used by the district for Meal Payments and another system is used by the district for school and latchkey fee payments.
2. Are there instructions for meal payments? Yes! Please refer to the Need Help? section
3. Can I make payments on my phone? Absolutely! You can use your cell phone to pay by either downloading the Titan Family Connect App to your phone or by visiting the Titan Parent Portal family.titank12.com (make sure you are using Google Chrome as your browser). The Titan Parent Portal is mobile responsive, which makes using your phone or tablet easy!
4. Who do I contact if I have questions about meal accounts or fee payments? If you have questions regarding meal payments and student accounts, contact Nutrition Services (our contact information is at the bottom right of this page). If you have questions regarding school, latchkey, or activity fees, please contact your child's school.
5. Will I have to pay a fee when I pay for meals with a Titan Parent Portal account?  Currently, parents are not charged a fee for using Titan Parent Portal.
6. How quickly after I make a payment will it be available for my student to use?  Immediately!

GENERAL INFORMATION

• We love it when parents, grandparents, or other family members choose to eat with a student during their lunch or breakfast!  For meal prices, please refer to the Adult/Visitor prices in the Meal Prices section.
• If eating at school is something you plan to do often, please click on the link above to request an Adult (Non-Staff) Meal Account. We strongly encourage that all non-staff adults set-up a meal account.
• All adult meal accounts must be positively funded.  Adults cannot charge.

HOW TO FUND AN ACCOUNT

• If you plan on eating at an elementary, K-8, or special school, please check in and make a payment at the school office before going to the cafeteria. You will need to bring exact change for your meal until you have a meal account, unless you want to donate the rest to a student in need.
• If you plan on eating at a middle school or high school, you will need to check in at the school office when you first arrive, but the payments should be taken to the Cafeteria Manager in the school cafeteria.

IMPORTANT

• Once you complete the registration, you will receive a confirmation email containing your ID number within 3-5 business days. 
• By filling out the form and requesting an account, you agree to allow your funds to be donated to a student in need if you do not utilize your account during the school year. The donation will occur in June following the school year with inactivity. Once this has occurred, it is not reversible.

GENERAL INFORMATION

MEAL ACCOUNT REFUND REQUEST REQUIRED FOR

• All refunds over $20
• If the student or staff member is inactive
• There is not enough cash on hand at the school to perform the refund
• The request is for a non-staff adult meal account.

REFUND RESTRICTIONS

• All Student Meal Account and Staff Adult Meal Account refund requests must be made before the end of the school year within 1 year of the student withdrawal date or staff termination/ retirement date or remaining funds will be donated to benefit a district student in need.
• All Non-Staff Adult Meal Account refund requests must be made before the end of the school year within 1 year of the last transaction or remaining funds will be donated to benefit a district student in need.
• For Student Meal Account Refunds, checks will only be issued to individuals listed as parent/guardian in the district's Student Information System.

REFUND TIMELINES

• Please allow 30 days for the request to be processed.
• Requests submitted after May 25th and before August 1st will be processed in August.

When you fill out a Meal Account Refund Request, you request a refund, or elect to transfer or donate your remaining balance.

• Spending limits can be set by parents on the Titan Parent Portal. 
• To set spending limits, the student must be linked to the parent's account.  See the need help section under "How to Create a Titan Parent Portal Account" and "How to Link Your Students"
• Spending limits only apply to ala carte items (such as an extra milk, 2nd entree, or snack items). 
• Parents can set up spending limits for a day or by meal session (breakfast or lunch).  Parents can elect to set the limit by quantity, by amount, or by both.  Below are a few examples of how to set spending limits.
  • Spending limit set to 1 item AND $2 for lunch
  • Spending limit set to $2 daily
  • Spending limit set to 2 items for lunch