RLISD families eligible for Pandemic-related benefits

Rosebud-Lott Independent School District announced Wednesday, May 27, that all families with students in the district qualifying for free or reduced lunch will be eligible for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT).

“P-EBT is a one-time benefit of up to $285 and will be issued on an EBT card to assist families during this unanticipated school closure,” said RLISD Superintendent Dr. Steve Brownlee.

This will allow families to purchase food at any retailer that accepts a Texas Lone Star card.

Rosebud-Lott is eligible for the program because they have participated in the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) for the past two years.

CEP is a federally funded program that allows high-poverty schools to provide free meals — both breakfast and lunch — to all students in a district or school without having to collect school meal applications, according to the Center for Public Policy Priorities. 

Families who received SNAP benefits for children ages five to eighteen for the month of March 2020 will automatically receive their P-EBT benefits by May 22 on their current Lone Star card.

No further action is required by those families, but Families with children up to 21 years old who are certified to receive free or reduced-price meals during the 2019-20 school year or received snap benefits in March 2020 for children 0-5 or 18-19 will need to apply for P-EBT online when the application is available. 

Eligible families will be receiving an email from RLISD sometime this week with a link to the application. The application closes on June 30. If an application is approved, a P-EBT card will be sent to the address on file.

Benefits will be available for up to one year from the date issued and are non-transferable.

“We trust this benefit will prove helpful,” Brownlee stated in a release.

A call center will be set up to assist where needed and the phone number will be provided along with the application email.

Because of school closures from COVID-19, Texas received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide more than $1 billion in pandemic food benefits. For more information, please visit hhs.texas.gov/PEBT.