In these tough times, some families may have trouble buying lunches for their children. Luckily, the state has a program to help those families in need.
Northborough students will receive a reduced meal packet on the first day of school, which parents can fill out and send back. The forms apply to the whole family, so you only need to fill out one if you have multiple children.
If your gross household income is below the figures in the chart below, you may qualify for reduced-price meals.
| Household Size | Yearly | Monthly | Weekly |
| 1 | $20,147 | $1,679 | $388 |
| 2 | $27,214 | $2,268 | $524 |
| 3 | $34,281 | $2,857 | $660 |
| 4 | $41,348 | $3,446 | $796 |
| 5 | $48,415 | $4,035 | $932 |
| 6 | 55,482 | $4,624 | $1,067 |
| 7 | 62,549 | $5,213 | $1,203 |
| 8 | 69,616 | $5,802 | $1,339 |
Maura Feeley, director of food services for the Northborough public schools, said that the National School Lunch Program sends out applications to all district families at the beginning of each school year.
"In additional to the application process," said Feeley, "this program has recently developed advanced technology where we will be able to 'query' eligible families through a confidential website called 'virtual gateway' that will pre-determine eligibility and eventually eliminate some of the paper process for some families for that particular school year. Any families who wish to inquire about this process should contact their school's principal for more information. This process is completely confidential and it should be known that primarily this is a safety net to ensure that our children will receive a guaranteed nutritious meal so they can continue learn and focus throughout the school day."