ocsd Meal Assistance myschoolapps.com

School Meal Benefits for Families Affected by the Government Shutdown

Communications

October 30, 2025

As the federal government shutdown continues, some families are beginning to miss regular paychecks. Households whose current income may qualify their students for meal benefit assistance are encouraged to complete an application at myschoolapps.com. The application reflects the household’s situation at the time of submission.

Please note, families can apply for free or reduced-cost school meals anytime their income changes, not just during a government furlough.

If students are approved for meal benefits, eligibility lasts for the entire school year. If/when the household situation changes, families are encouraged—but not required—to notify Okaloosa Food Service if they no longer wish to use this benefit.

Applications can be submitted electronically via myschoolapps.com or through the Food Service tab at OkaloosaSchools.com.

 

Determining Household Reportable Income

Category

Description

Earnings from work

  • Wages, salaries, tips, commissions, and cash bonuses;

  • Net income from self-owned business, including farms;

  • Strike benefits, unemployment compensation, and worker’s compensation; and

  • Military basic pay and cash bonuses and allowances for off-base housing, food, and clothing (excluding combat pay, Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance, and privatized housing allowances; for more information, see Income Exclusions, page 30 of Eligibility Manual for School Meals).

Note: All approved meal applications are subject to verification. Families whose applications are randomly chosen for verification will be required to produce documentation of actual income for the application month up to the time they are selected for verification.