The National School Lunch Program is a federally-funded program that assists schools and other agencies in providing lunches to children at reasonable prices. In addition to financial assistance, the program provides donated commodity foods to help reduce lunch program costs. The United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for overseeing the program nationally. In California, the program is administered by the California Department of Education’s Nutrition Services Division.Students will be able to purchase lunch and milk at all schools in the Tustin Unified School District. Breakfast and lunch prices will increase 25 cents for the new school year, according to Nutrition Services Director Teresa Squibb.
“It’s the first price increase in three years even though food costs have increased five to seven percent each year,” Squibb said.
The school lunch prices for 2016-17 are $3 for elementary students and $3.25 for middle and high school students. All meals include a choice of entrees, fresh fruits and vegetables, and milk. Healthy a la carte snacks will be offered at the middle and high schools.
Additionally, breakfast will be offered at Benson, Guin Foss, Loma Vista, Nelson, Peters Canyon and Veeh elementary schools for $2; and Columbus Tustin, Hewes, Orchard Hills, Pioneer and Utt middle schools, and Beckman, Foothill and Tustin high schools for $2.25.
Students will be offered breakfast and lunch at no cost at the following schools – Beswick, Estock, Heideman and Thorman elementary schools; Currie Middle School; and Hillview High School.
The afterschool supper program will be available at Beswick, Estock, Heideman, Thorman and Veeh elementary schools; and Columbus Tustin, Currie and Utt middle schools.
Parents can prepay for their child’s meals by bringing a check or cash to the school office or creating an account on
www.MySchoolBucks ($1.95 bank fee), an online prepayment service supporting student lunch accounts. Parents can monitor their child’s lunch account through the service for free. Elementary students access their accounts by entering their student number into a pin-pad at school when buying breakfast or lunch. Middle and high schools students access their accounts by scanning their ID cards or entering their student number into a pin-pad at school when buying breakfast or lunch.
Free and reduced-price meal applications will be distributed to students as part of the federally- and state-assisted National School Lunch Program. Meal applications are available online and the link is posted on the District’s website.
Menus and nutritional information are posted on the Nutrition Services website
HERE.
For more information, call the Nutrition Services Department at (714) 730-7301, ext. 396.