Cafeteria
FCPS' award-winning food and nutrition services programs are available to kindergarten students. A variety of nutritious breakfasts, lunches, and à la carte offerings are served by 1,300 food service employees to about 145,000 school customers each day in every school. School meals are planned by registered dietitians to reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and student preferences as determined at student taste parties. Strict federal nutrient guidelines limit total fat, limit saturated fats, and include whole grain products. FCPS also limits trans fats, sodium, and sugar. For daily menus, check cable television (Channel 21) or go to the Food at School web site.
In addition to publicized lunches, the following are available daily:
- chef salads, yogurt biteable, hummus biteable, or peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunches.
- low-fat milk, ice cream, 100 percent fruit juice, and other limited à la carte items that meet nutrient standards for fat, saturated fat, trans fat, added sugar, and calories. An elementary school student cannot purchase an à la carte item unless he or she has purchased a lunch or brought a lunch from home.
- snacks for kindergarten students (small fee required).
- lunch and snacks for School Age Child Care (SACC) students and FECEP (Head Start) students.
- vending services offer nutritious snacks in middle and high schools. These meet the nutrition standards of the Institute of Medicine and the Virginia Governor’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Scorecard.
Breakfast is available in selected schools and begins on September 10. Check to see if breakfast is available at your school.
Requests for food substitutions for students with special dietary needs, such as allergies, require a statement from a medical authority. The list of ingredients for all food items served in the school cafeterias is available on the web site. Nutrient information for food items served is posted in school cafeterias.
Student Account Balances
Students will have the same student cafeteria personal identification numbers (PINs) when they return to school next year. For students who will be going to a different school in the fall, the cafeteria PIN number and account balance will automatically move to the new school with them.
Meal Purchases
Parents may purchase breakfast and lunch for their children by the month, week, or day. Parents may specify how payments are to be used by their children–meals only or meals and à la carte. A printed summary of a child(ren)’s account is available from the food service manager or by signing on with myLunchMoney.com. You do not need to make credit card payments through myLunchMoney.com in order to view your child’s meal history.
Three Ways of Purchasing Meals
• Online—Using www.myLunchMoney.com. A convenience fee ($1.95 per transaction) applies each time a payment is added.
• Check—Make checks payable to (School Name) Food Services and bring the check to the food service manager’s office.
• Cash—Cash may be brought to the food service manager’s office for deposit on a student’s account, or a student may pay cash on a daily basis.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals
Free and reduced-price lunches are available to students unable to pay the full price of menus according to criteria based on household size and income. Applications are mailed to all households in August. Applications translated into Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Farsi, Urdu, and Arabic are available in schools.
Parents are encouraged to join their child for lunch.