School Lunch Program
The Lunch Program sponsored by NDS is available to all schools. Lunch may be provided by itself or in addition to breakfast. The nutritional menu includes items such as meat, vegetables, baked items and milk. Items are pre-packaged for food safety and for easy service. Children are required to take at least 3 of the 5 items offered each day. Meals are delivered to the school every other school day.
Nutrition
Lunch is intended to provide children with 1/3 of the calories, vitamins, and minerals they need for the day. Fat is kept low by offering low or no-fat milk. Only 100% juice is served. Whole grains are used whenever possible.
Menus
A new menu is written each month. Lunch managers at the school order meals weekly. Click here to view the current menu.
Lunch Price
The lunch for grades 7 and 8 costs $2.05 per day, for all other grades it is $1.95 per day. Some children may qualify to receive lunch for a reduced price of 40 cents or for free.
Eligibility for Free or Reduced Price Meals
Some children may be eligible to purchase meals at a 'reduced price' or receive it for free. Families find out if they are eligible for these price breaks by submitting applications each fall. NDS reviews applications for the school. Income guidelines are updated each year for inflation.
Families can now apply online to get free or reduced-price school meals. Click "Apply For Benefits" to get started.
Self-Prep Schools
Schools that have adequate kitchens and staff may wish to prepare meals on-site. Please contact us for more information if you are interested in this.
School Requirements for Participation
A school that is interested in offering lunch to their students needs to identify a 'lunch manager' who will be responsible for lunch heating and service, ordering, inventory, paperwork, etc. NDS will train the manager on all aspects of the program. NDS will also help the school by providing necessary refrigeration and other supplies for program and some reimbursement for the manager's time.
FAQ
Are children required to take everything offered to them at lunch?
The National School Lunch program operates under the 'offer v. serve' system. Children are offered 5 items at lunch. They can take all of them. But they can take 3 items and it still be considered a complete lunch.
Other Information
NDS is a sponsor of this federal program that is run by NDS under contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Sites have the option to be their own sponsor and can contract directly with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. For more information about direct sponsorship see the PDE website.
For more information about this federal program, visit the USDA website.
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