Pueblo County Schools
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November 2025 HSMA Ballot Measures
As we welcome you to a new school year, we want to take a moment to inform you of two measures that will be listed in November’s ballot this year regarding the Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program. The HSMA program was voter-approved in 2022 through Proposition FF to provide free breakfasts and lunches to all students in Colorado. The program has had greater success than what the state originally budgeted for. As such, there is a funding shortfall that the State would like to address through two separate ballot measures.
One measure addresses the retention of the excess funds that were collected from those making over $300,000 annually in Colorado. If the measure is voted for, approximately $12 million will be returned to the Healthy School Meals for All fund. If the measure is voted against, those funds would be returned to those making over $300,000 per year and reduce the total funding for the program.
(This is a result of the State not projecting or budgeting enough revenue compared to what was actually received.)
The other measure seeks to provide additional funding by lowering the deduction limits for those making over $300,000 annually in Colorado. If the measure is voted for, an additional $95 million will be allocated annually towards the Healthy School Meals for All program, which will allow districts to continue feeding students for free. If the measure is voted against, the program will be drastically reduced and will most likely cease to exist for our district, meaning most of the families in our district will have to pay for their student’s meals.
(This is a result of the state not projecting enough expenditures to sustain the program, causing a revenue shortfall.)
We felt that it was important to notify our families of the upcoming November ballot measures and provide some explanation for what each of measures mean. More information can be found by researching Colorado HB25-1274.
One measure addresses the retention of the excess funds that were collected from those making over $300,000 annually in Colorado. If the measure is voted for, approximately $12 million will be returned to the Healthy School Meals for All fund. If the measure is voted against, those funds would be returned to those making over $300,000 per year and reduce the total funding for the program.
(This is a result of the State not projecting or budgeting enough revenue compared to what was actually received.)
The other measure seeks to provide additional funding by lowering the deduction limits for those making over $300,000 annually in Colorado. If the measure is voted for, an additional $95 million will be allocated annually towards the Healthy School Meals for All program, which will allow districts to continue feeding students for free. If the measure is voted against, the program will be drastically reduced and will most likely cease to exist for our district, meaning most of the families in our district will have to pay for their student’s meals.
(This is a result of the state not projecting enough expenditures to sustain the program, causing a revenue shortfall.)
We felt that it was important to notify our families of the upcoming November ballot measures and provide some explanation for what each of measures mean. More information can be found by researching Colorado HB25-1274.
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
As of March 2024, Pueblo County School District 70 has been able to become a 100% CEP district. This means that Free and Reduced Applications only need to be collected every 4 years, with the next year being School Year 2027-28.
However, the district still needs to collect information from each household using the new Federal Economic Data Survey.
For School Year 2025-26, you'll need to access this form using the same process as the Free/Reduced Application form by visiting www.MySchoolApps.com to complete the form.
After that, you'll be asked to fill out the form each year when you register your children in InfoSnap.
If you have any questions, please call our office at 719-295-6535.
Healthy School Meals for All
All students in District 70 will have access to free, healthy and nutritious school meals beginning the 2023-24 school year thanks to the Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program approved by Colorado voters.
What Families Can Expect for the 2023-24 School Year
Please contact Lennea McMahan at 719-295-6535 or lmcmahan@district70.org with questions about applications.
What Families Can Expect for the 2023-24 School Year
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We encourage all families to complete the Federal Economic Data Survey Form to access benefits and potential reduction in school fees. To access this form, you must log into MySchoolApps.com.
- Completion of this form will help with additional education funding for schools and may allow for waivers of school-related fees.
- All household income information provided through the HSMA Combination Form is strictly confidential and protected by law. Please note: Only one form is required for all students in the household.
- Students receiving a free meal must take a 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetable with their meal in order to qualify as Free. Failure to do so will force us to charge the individual food items to the student's account rather than granting a free reimbursable meal.
- In an effort to accommodate the number of meals being served and speed up our service lines, we'll be offering a variety of packaged fresh fruits and vegetables from a local Pueblo distributor throughout the week. We'll also offer a rotation of fruit cups, slushies, and sorbets.
- Additional meals, entrees or a la carte items may be purchased by a student using cash or their MySchoolBucks account. We won't be able to allow negative charge balances while we're utilizing the Healthy School Meals for All program.
Please contact Lennea McMahan at 719-295-6535 or lmcmahan@district70.org with questions about applications.
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In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or,
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or,
mail:
Program.Intake@usda.gov
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or,
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or,
mail:
Program.Intake@usda.gov