SCHOOL BREAKFAST & LUNCH INFORMATION
Dear Parents and Guardians:
I hope that you and your family are well and, however your child will be returning to school next week, that they are looking forward to the new school year.
If your child will be attending school in one of the SCASD school buildings, this message is to provide you with information to help you take full advantage of the services offered by the district's Food Service Department. I encourage you visit our webpage for additional information including:
- Menus
- Meal Prices
- Free & Reduced-Price Meals Application & Information
- Cafeteria Procedures
- Nutrient Facts
- Allergy & Special Diets Accommodations
- Contact Information
A separate message will be sent later this week to families who have chosen the full-remote or virtual academy options to share information about meals for their students.
Let me share a few of the procedures that we have put in place to support a healthy, safe, and enjoyable meal time for students at school.
Lunch at Elementary and Middle Schools: Students will pick up a fully packed box lunch, including a choice of hot entrees, in the school cafeteria. Fruit and vegetable side dishes will be automatically included with the meal. Students will return to their classroom, or other space designated by the building principal, to eat. The serving area and all high-touch surfaces will be sanitized between classes.
Breakfast: Starting the day with breakfast, either at home or at school, is important for student success. Breakfast is available every morning in our schools for all students. Students who receive free or reduced-price lunch are also able to get breakfast at the same approved rate. Breakfast procedures vary by location and will be communicated by each individual school.
Menus: In order to limit items being transferred between school and home, hard copies of the school menu will not be sent home with students. A link to the updated menus will be sent to families before the start of each month. Menus can be found at www.scasd.org/schoolmeals or in the SCASD App.
A la Carte Sales: Students are able to purchase breakfast and snack or extra food items at school so long as funds are available in their account to pay for the purchase. Parents can request account restrictions to limit unwanted purchases. To request an account restriction, please email mas15@scasd.org and include your child's name, school, parent/guardian's name, phone number, and requested restriction. Restrictions that were requested last year are still in place and do not need to be re-submitted.
Paying for School Meals: Please make payments to your child’s lunch account on-line at www.myschoolbucks.com or mail checks to the SCASD Food Service Office at 653 Westerly Parkway, State College, PA 16801. When mailing payments, please be sure to include the name of the student(s) for whom the payment is intended, the school(s) they attend, and a phone number for questions.
Payments will no longer be accepted at the elementary or middle schools during lunch. Payments at the high school will be accepted at only one designated cash register with the full amount of the payment deposited to the student’s account. Change will not be given.
We will never deny a student a school meal for lack of funds. However, students are not allowed to charge a la carte items such as bottled water, snacks, or extra entrees. IOU emails are sent to parents each week, but we also encourage you to sign up for low balance email alerts on the myschoolbucks webpage. MySchoolBucks charges a fee for accepting lunch payments, but there is no fee for receiving low balance emails or for viewing your child's account activity.
Free & Reduced-Price Meals: The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted many families’ jobs and income. If your family has lost income over the past several months and can use help, please consider applying for free or reduced-price school meals. Current income of $4,040 per month will qualify a family of 4 for some assistance. Visit our webpage for additional information.
Allergies & Special Diets: If your child has an allergy or special dietary need, please review our procedures for providing safe meals at school. Some requests will require that a Medical Plan of Care be completed by your physician. Soy milk can be requested for any student as a substitute for the milk served with school meals by simply submitting a Milk Substitute Request Form. Both forms can be found on our webpage.
We wish all of our students the very best for the year ahead and hope that the healthy and delicious meals served in our schools help to fuel them to succeed!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Megan Schaper, SNS
Food Service Director
State College Area School District
814-231-5095
mas15@scasd.org
