Breakfast and Lunch

August 1, 2023

Dear Parents/Guardians:

This letter includes information pertaining to full cost and free or reduced-cost lunches and breakfasts that will be in effect for the 2023-2024 school year. 

The lunch and breakfast program will begin on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

The cost of a school lunch for elementary students is $2.65; the cost of a school lunch for secondary students is $2.95. Any student who would qualify for a reduced-cost lunch for the 2023-2024 school year will receive a free lunch daily. Additional meals, drinks, and ala carte items will be sold.

There will be no cost for a school breakfast for all students enrolled in the Fox Chapel Area School District during the 2023-2024 school year. Additional meals, drinks, and ala carte items will be sold.

Students may bring in a check (made payable to the “FCASD Cafeteria Fund”) to the cafeteria to pay for additional meals, drinks, and ala carte items. Please have students bring payment in an envelope that includes the student’s name, room number, homeroom teacher, and any special instructions.

Payments can also be made online once a parent signs up at https://www.schoolcafe.com. Parents/guardians will need the student’s ID number and the school zip code. Students may also pay daily with cash. All students will pay via the point of sale (POS) system and will be given a Personal Identification Number (PIN). Whether prepaying or paying daily, PINs must be used at all buildings for all account transactions.

Students that incur a negative balance are expected to bring their accounts up to date by the following school day. For further information, please see the district’s food services policies in the food services portion of the website. 

Access to all menus, free and reduced forms, and general information on the food services department can also be found on the food services portion of the website. 

Please contact Food Services Manager Julie Geary at (412) 967-2502, or via email at  Julie_Geary@fcasd.edu, with any questions regarding the school breakfast and lunch program.

Sincerely,

Julie Geary
Food Services Manager

The Fox Chapel Area School District Food Services Department strives to serve healthy and well-balanced meals to students. Periodically, we will be posting photos of the lunch options available for students.

Nachos Grande, Recently Served at Dorseyville Middle School

Chicken Nuggets, Recently Served at the Elementary Level

French Toast Sticks, Recently Served at the Elementary Level

What is the National School Lunch Program?

The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in over 100,000 public and non-profit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provided nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to more than 31 million children each school day in 2011. In 1998, Congress expanded the National School Lunch Program to include reimbursement for snacks served to children in afterschool educational and enrichment programs to include children through 18 years of age. The Food and Nutrition Service administers the program at the Federal level. At the State level, the National School Lunch Program is usually administered by State education agencies, which operate the program through agreements with school food authorities.

What are the nutritional requirements for school lunches?

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 directed USDA to update the NSLP’s meal pattern and nutrition standards based on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The new meal pattern went into effect at the beginning of SY 2012-13, and increased the availability of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in the school menu. New dietary specifications set specific calorie limits to ensure age-appropriate meals for grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Other meal enhancements include gradual reductions in the sodium content of the meals (sodium targets must be reached by SY 2014-15, SY 2017-18 and SY 2022-23). While school lunches must meet federal meal requirements, decisions about what specific foods to serve and how they are prepared are made by local school food authorities.

• School Meals are Balanced and Healthy
• School Meals Help Kids Maintain a Healthy Weight
• School Meals Include USDA Commodity Foods
• School Meals Help Students Perform Better in School

If your child:

1. Has special dietary needs due to food allergies or a disabling condition(s)
2. Plans on participating in the school lunch program, and
3. Requires dietary substitutions, there are USDA regulations for making food substitutions in the school meals program which require a physician’s specific diet prescription and signature.

When a child has a serious disability (such as food allergies which may result in anaphylaxis)
A signed medical statement from a physician is needed for disabling conditions. Your physician is required to answer a series of questions in order for meal substitutions or changes to be honored by the school during the school year. In addition, juice and water are no longer an acceptable substitute for milk intolerance or allergy that is not ruled a disability by a physician.

A MEDICAL PLAN OF CARE FOR SCHOOL FOOD SERVICES form must be completed and signed by a physician, if your child has a disability which requires special dietary accommodations or substitutions.
We cannot accept a physician’s prescription in lieu of this form.

If you have any questions or need any further explanations regarding the new regulations, please contact Fox Chapel Area School District’s food services manager, Julie Geary at (412) 967-2502 or by email at julie_geary@fcasd.edu.

What is the Breakfast Program?

The Fox Chapel Area School District offers a breakfast program in all cafeterias that provides students with a nutritious breakfast that meets recommended dietary guidelines.

Who is eligible to participate?

All elementary and secondary students in the district are eligible to participate in the breakfast program.

Do students need to participate in the breakfast program regularly?

No. Students can eat breakfast on a regular or occasional basis.

What is the cost?

Breakfast is free for all students in the Fox Chapel Area School District for the 2023-2024 school year. However, students who qualify for free lunches or lunches at a reduced price under the National School Lunch Program also are entitled to receive breakfast for free or at a reduced price in the Breakfast Program. Monies are deducted from the student’s Primero Edge account.

What are the breakfast program hours for students and staff?

7:50-8:15 a.m. at Hartwood Elementary
8:40-8:55 a.m. at Fairview and O'Hara elementary schools
8:30-9:00 a.m. at Kerr Elementary
7:55-8:15 a.m. at Dorseyville Middle School
7:00-7:30 a.m. at Fox Chapel Area High School

If you have any questions regarding the School Breakfast Program, please contact Julie Geary, Fox Chapel Area School District’s food services manager, at (412) 967-2502.