General Information
School Nutrition Program Information
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Our cafeterias are continuing to meet federal nutrition standards for school meals, ensuring that meals are well-balanced and provide students all the nutrition they need to succeed at school.
Meal Prices
Student lunch: $3.20
Student breakfast: $2.00
Meal Charge Regulation and Protocol
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We provide cashless transactions. If a student brings cash to pay for meals, please note the change due will go onto the student’s meal account.
As of July 1, 2022, the district utilizes MySchoolBucks, a third-party prepayment service that is free to parents and students. There is also an app available for both iOS and Android devices. Through this service parents and students may deposit funds using a credit card or electronic check, and they can see their student's school meals account balances and purchase history. There are also settings for parents to be emailed low balance alerts, and to set up the account to auto replenish when it hits a certain low balance amount set by the parent. Families are strongly encouraged to use this service to track school meal money. Again, we will not be giving change back for meals, but adding the change to the student’s meal account.
Important note: NYSED Policy states that district staff can no longer talk with students about meal debt; the conversation needs to take place with the parent/guardian. If a child does not have enough money in his/her account for the day, the child may have a regular breakfast and/or lunch, with no discussion about owing money. A la carte and snack purchases must be paid/prepaid.
Regulation and Protocol Reference: School Board Policy #5660 - School Nutrition Program (Lunch and Breakfast) – Revised July 2018
FREE/REDUCED MEALS
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We strongly encourage families to fill out an application for free/reduced meals. The application is available through MySchoolApps. Paper copies are available at the Gates Chili School Nutrition Department Office at Gates Chili Middle School.
- Free Meal Benefit: eligible students will be allowed to receive a free breakfast and lunch each day.
- Reduced Meal Benefit: currently reduced eligible students will be allowed to receive breakfast and lunch for NO CHARGE.