Child Nutrition Department

Cafeteria Updates

P-EBT Eligible Students

A child is eligible for P-EBT if the child is a current Preschool, Kindergarten or 1st - 12th grade student and would have attended a school building and received free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program if not for the COVID-19 health emergency and meets one of the following scenarios:

The child does not receive free or reduced-price meals at the school because the school is not providing in-person instruction (includes virtual or remote learning) or has been operating withreduced attendance or hours for at least five consecutive school days. Examples include the following:

A school that had to close due to COVID-19 for at least five consecutive school days;
A school with all students learning remotely but normally would have been in session in a building;
A school operating a hybrid schedule for at least five days with in-person instruction occurring every other day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) with virtual or remote learning on the other days (Tuesday, Thursday);
A school that operates at reduced hours during the day (child comes to the school building for only three hours per day) and the children do not receive a free or reduced-price meal while at school. Any school days where a child is in attendance and the school is providing meals to eat at school may not be submitted for P-EBT.

The child does not receive free or reduced-price meals at school because his or her parent or guardian has opted for the child to be fully remote or participate in virtual learning even though the school building he or she attends is hybrid or providing five day in-person instruction;

The child attends a five-day, in-person instruction school but does not receive free or reduced-price meals at school because the child was sick with COVID-19 or needed to quarantine because of COVID-19 for at least five consecutive school days.

Current Supply Chain Issues

The Child Nutrition Department is currently experiencing severe delays, out-of-stock items, and shortages.

While we are doing our absolute best to follow a planned menu, which will be posted shortly, we are unable to control changes that may be necessary due to supply chain interruptions.

Menu changes will be noted in the daily announcements at each building, and parents may call their school cafeteria to inquire about menu substitutions and nutritional information as needed.

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your continuing patience and patronage as we start this new school year.

No Cash Policy

No cash may be accepted in any cafeteria, and no change may be made at the cafeteria registers. Students and staff may pay by check in the cafeteria, or payments may be made online at www.sendmoneytoschool.com. Credit card payments may still be made in the school office.

Meal Prices

All students are able to receive a free breakfast and free lunch for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years.

Students must take all meal components required by USDA/ODE to receive the free meal. If they choose not to take the full meal, they are able to purchase individual items or a la carte items for additional costs.

Funds can be added to student meal accounts at www.SendMoneyToSchool.com. No charges will be permitted, and no cash can be taken at the cafeteria registers.

Students may pay by check at the register, or may send cash or check to their school office.

Adult meal costs are as follows:

Breakfast: $1.50

Lunch $3.50

Meal Payments

Send Money to School

Using the link above you will be directed to the Send Money to School website.

You may set up an account and then add your students using their 9 digit student ID. The student ID can be located on their school schedule, report card, and/or by calling the school office.

Once an account is established you will be able to:

Pay for Meals
Check Meal Balances
View Meal History
Transfer Money

Should you have any questions regarding the use of this site please contact the Child Nutrition Office at 419-334-5434.

Farm to School

FCS is also committed to serving the freshest, most nutritionally sound foods available. That is why we have focused on sourcing our foods as locally as possible. A USDA Farm-to-School grant has allowed FCS to focus on providing these fresh, local foods to students, while building valuable community partnerships that benefit our students, our schools, and our community. We take pride in knowing that our students are served foods that have been produced right in our own community, with names and brands that they recognize. We continue to seek new partnerships with local food producers who will allow us to provide the highest quality, freshest foods to our students.

For more information, visit farmtoschool.org.

Free & Reduced Lunches

If you believe your children qualify for free or reduced priced meals we encourage you to complete the application promptly. The quickest way to apply is at https://fremontcity.familyportal.cloud. Your online application will usually be processed the same day. Once processed, a letter describing your eligibility status will be mailed to your home.

You can also fill an application out at either the administration building or your student’s school. This will help extend your budget and may also assist your school in receiving additional funding. Paper applications may take up to 10 business days to process.

YOU MUST PAY FULL PRICE FOR MEALS UNTIL THE APPLICATION IS APPROVED.

Important Note: By law we automatically extend the free and reduced status for the first twenty operating days of the next school year. Approval of your application cannot be retroactive to meals already served.

Your student’s free and reduced meal status is highly confidential. If your income changes and you believe you qualify for free or reduced meals, you may complete an application at any time during the school year.

Privacy Act Statement: This explains how we will use the information you give us. The National School Lunch Act requires the information on this application. You do not have to give the information, but if you do not, we cannot approve your children for free or reduced price meals. The Social Security Number of the adult household member who signs the application is required unless you list a SNAP, TANF or OWF case number, or if you are applying for a foster child. You must check the “I do not have a Social Security Number” box if the adult household member signing the application does not have a Social Security Number. We will use your information to see if your children are eligible for free or reduced price meals, to run the program and to enforce the rules of the program. We may share your eligibility information with education programs to help them evaluate, fund or determine benefits for those programs, and auditors for program reviews.

Food Allergies

The prevalence of food allergies in the U.S. is on the rise.

Food allergies among children have increased by nearly 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. One in every 13 children, or roughly two in every classroom, suffers from some type of food allergy.

In addition, children with a food allergy are two to four times more likely to have conditions such as asthma and other allergies.

For some, an allergic reaction to a particular food may be uncomfortable but not severe. For others, a food reaction can be frightening and even life-threatening.

If your child has a diagnosed food allergy, please contact your child’s building principal and/or school nurse.

The Fremont Board of Education has an adopted policy for accommodating students with food allergies that reduces the likelihood of an allergic reaction at school. All district child nutrition department personnel will follow the appropriate food plan established for any student having a food allergy.

Please note that we must have a Doctor's note on file if your child is diagnosed with a food allergy or sensitivity and he or she is requesting an alternative meal.

If we do not have a written excuse from the child’s physician, we may be unable to provide them with an alternative meal.

Please contact Tracy Rusch, Child Nutrition Supervisor, with any questions regarding this matter.

School Menus

Menus are subject to change without notice. Please contact Ms. Rusch at 419-334-5440 with any menu questions.

Menu Planning

Meals are planned to meet established USDA meal nutrient requirements as well as appeal to our customers.

One of our regulatory agencies, the United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA), specifies required nutrient levels that must be met for six key nutrients ( Calories, Protein, Fat, Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Iron) in meals when averaged over a week. These nutrient requirements are similar to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as written for specific age groups. We know that children receive the benefits from their meals only if they eat the meal so we take care to plan meals that appeal to our customers.

From experience we know it takes between three to five exposures for a student to try a new food. We offer at least 2 choices at the elementary level to assure that we meet a variety of preferences with one item a day being vegetarian in nature (cheese, yogurt or nuts). As children get older we offer more menu selections.

You might wonder how we know what students like. We gain this information through 3 primary methods:

Selections taken
Plate waste observation
Asking them directly

Considerations in Menu Planning

Beyond preferences discussed above our menus are planned keeping 2 other considerations in mind. First and foremost is food safety. Our department has a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Program throughout to reduce the chances of a food borne illness. Our staff is a very qualified group of employees that are regularly trained through our professional development. However when one is off we use substitute staff that while very energetic do not have the same level of training. To avert food bone illness through cross contamination or under cooking or improper cooling of leftovers, we use primarily precooked protein products. This also helps us offer more choices in our menus as food preparation does not take as much time as it did before.