Making sure your child has a nutritious meal at school is important for their academic success and health. If you don’t have the time or money to pack a lunch, school lunches are a healthy alternative.

School meals as a whole promote a better diet among participants. And eating breakfast at school reduces student absences and improves test scores, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found. 

Over the last 15 years, increasing whole grains, fruit and vegetables in school meals and cutting back on sodium, fat and sugar have boosted average nutritional quality. 

Nationwide surveys found 50% of students said they “always” or “often” like what is being served in the school cafeteria. Another 43% said they “sometimes” do. About 7% said lunch never includes foods they like.

Cost of school meals

Click on each district’s name to set up online payments for school lunches. 

Free and reduced-price school meals

Families should also check if they qualify for free or reduced-price cafeteria food, like more than 60% of all public school students nationwide.

To apply, parents will need to fill out a form with their name, address, total household income and reference any special circumstances, like homelessness, that can qualify their children.

Each household should fill out one application, regardless of how many children will benefit. Parents provide information to the best of their knowledge — the state may require households to verify the information with tax and other documents on a case-by-case basis. 

Household income includes every family member, including the student and other relatives. Students qualify if their family earns less than the guidelines.

Wichita, Goddard, Derby, Andover, Valley Center and Maize keep their own applications for those who meet these income standards. Call your school district or 785-296-2276 for information about any others.

Allergy precautions

USDA rules require that students with a declared allergy receive food that contains no “traces of substances that may trigger an allergic reaction.” 

Schools must provide parents with menus with complete and accurate ingredients upon request and verify the ingredients with manufacturers, as needed.

Food safety inspectors scrutinize school cafeterias the same as any restaurant. The Kansas Department of Agriculture completes these reports about every seven months.

Packed lunches

Whether cautious about allergies or coping with picky eaters, parents can always pack a lunch for their child. 

USDA advises parents to keep food at safe temperatures — lower than 40 degrees or above 140 degrees. 

• Use a well-insulated bag with frozen gel packs to keep food cool. Avoid brown paper bags.
• Heat hot foods at home and put in a sealed container that has been preheated with boiling water.
• Throw out food kept for more than two hours between 40 and 140 degrees. 
• If the high temperature for the day is more than 90 degrees, the time limit is one hour.

USDA also urges parents who send packed lunches to tell their children never to share the food, to avoid allergy risks.