Central 301 will begin to offer free value meal lunches to all students beginning Tuesday, September 7, 2021, for the entire school year. According to the USDA-SSO Free Lunch Program, all students have the opportunity to receive a free value meal lunch regardless of their current status of free, reduced or paid lunches. The value meal lunch consists of 5 components: 1) meat/meat alternate, 2) whole grain breads/pasta/grains, 3) vegetables, 4) fruits and 5) milk (1% low fat milk or fat free chocolate milk).
Elementary Schools: The lunch ordering process will continue as normal for elementary students. Each morning, teachers will ask students if they would like a hot lunch/grilled cheese sandwich lunch (value meal lunch). This count will assist the food service staff in preparing proper lunch counts for each serving period. For students who bring cold lunches from home but need milk only, the milk is counted as a la carte and will be offered at $0.40/carton. These milk purchases will be deducted from the student’s MySchoolBucks lunch account. Students will go through the lunch line to pick up their lunch and go to the cashier to have their lunch counted.
Central Middle School and Prairie Knolls Middle School: The lunch ordering process will continue as normal for middle school students. Each morning teachers will take a lunch count for the students wanting a hot lunch (value meal lunch). Students can choose a minimum of 3 of the 5 components listed above to qualify for a value meal lunch. For students who wish to get a second value meal, these will be charged to the student’s MySchoolBucks lunch account. Students will go through the lunch line to pick up their value meal lunch and any extra a la carte items. The cashier will take count of the “free” value meal and charge the student’s lunch account for only the a la carte items. Students must have money on their lunch account in MySchoolBucks in order to purchase a la carte snacks. A la carte items cannot be purchased if the student’s lunch account has a zero/negative balance.
Central High School: Students will go through the main serving line to choose their lunch entrée (hot sandwich, pizza, main dish, salad), vegetable, fruit and milk. There is no need to pre-order a lunch. Students can choose a minimum of 3 of the 5 components listed above to qualify for a free value meal lunch. For students who wish to get a second value meal, these will be charged to the student’s lunch account. Students will go through the lunch line to pick up their value meal lunch and any extra a la carte items. The cashier will take count of the “free” value meal and charge the student’s lunch account for only the a la carte items. Students must have money on their lunch account in MySchoolBucks in order to purchase a la carte snacks. A la carte items cannot be purchased if the student’s lunch account has a zero/negative balance.
Menus for all schools can be found here or at Central 301 Food Service’s website.
Please contact Pam Mirenda if you have additional questions.