EASTON, MARYLAND — The Maryland State Department of Education posted new income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price school meals on Sept. 4, 2026. The chart runs through June 30, 2027. Talbot County Public Schools families use the same federal lines every other Maryland system uses.

What “free” and “reduced-price” mean on this chart. Free meals: household income at or below 130 percent of the 2026 federal poverty guidelines. Reduced-price meals: above free and at or below 185 percent. MSDE’s example for a family of four: free if annual income is at or below $42,900; reduced-price if income falls between $42,899 and $61,050.

Annual free-meal caps by household size on the MSDE table: 1 person $20,748; 2 $28,132; 3 $35,516; 4 $42,900; 5 $50,284; 6 $57,668; 7 $65,052; 8 $72,436; add $7,384 for each additional member. Reduced-price annual caps: 1 $29,526; 2 $40,034; 3 $50,542; 4 $61,050; 5 $71,558; 6 $82,066; 7 $92,574; 8 $103,082; add $10,508 for each additional member.

Application rules MSDE restated. Incomplete applications cannot be processed. Schools notify households after review; parents may seek clarification, appeal, or request a hearing. Children in Head Start or Even Start, certified homeless, migrant, runaway, or foster children, and households receiving SNAP or Temporary Cash Assistance automatically qualify for free meals without a new application. Families may reapply during the year if household size, employment, or income changes. U.S. citizenship is not required to apply.

State funding through the Maryland Cares for Kids Act covers the cost of reduced-price meals, MSDE said. More information is posted at eatsmartmaryland.org; MSDE’s Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs number in the release is 410-767-0219.

MSDE’s release does not publish a Talbot County free/reduced participation rate. Blank local rates stay blank until TCPS or MSDE posts them.