Food and Nutrition Services Parent Info Guide

MEAL PRICES for 2024-2025

Elementary School Breakfast $1.75
Middle & High School Breakfast $1.75
Reduced Price Breakfast $0.30
Elementary School Lunch $3.25
Middle & High School Lunch $3.50
Reduced Price Lunch $0.40
Adult Breakfast $2.75
Adult Lunch $5.00

How do students access their lunch account at school?

All students will receive a personal identification number (PIN) for their meal account from homeroom teacher or the Food Service Manager at the beginning of the school year. This can range from a three to five-digit number. Your student should memorize this number and not share with any other students as this number is directly tied to their personal meal account. Your student will use this PIN number until he/she leaves that school but remaining balance will follow the student, a new PIN will be assigned to him/her to new school. Student Identification scanners are used at many schools and must be used to access their account. Please check with your student or your Food Service Manager.

FORGOT YOUR LUNCH MONEY?

Negative Food Service Account Balance Policy

Elementary Schools, Middle and High Schools:
–  At $0 balance, no à la carte purchases are permitted. Any debt must be paid before à la carte purchases can be made.
–  The student will be informed when his/her account balance is less than $5.00. ( Middle and High Schools Students)
–  When the student’s account balance reaches negative $10, the Food Service Manager will communicate with the Parent(s) or Guardian via email. Other communication methods may be used in addition to email.  An application for Free and Reduced will be offered to the Parent/Guardian.
–  Once the negative balance of $15.00 is exceeded, the Food Service Manager will alert School Administration. A Follow up with Student Services will occur if the Parent/Guardian does not respond.

You can set up an account with www.paypams.com to review student meal transactions.

**The Negative Food Service Account Balance Policy detailed above can be printed for reference by all applicable households.
**No student will be overtly identified as a recipient of any level of school meal benefits.
**No student will be denied a school meal because of a negative food service account balance.

 

À LA CARTE ITEMS:

Many of the schools provide specialty, À la Carte items. These items range in price and are not included in the paid, free or reduced priced “school lunch”. All customers may purchase à la carte items with cash or by using their lunch account.

Free and Reduced Priced Meal Application REMINDER:

Parents are encouraged to complete one Free and Reduced Price Meal Application per family including all children in household, rather than one per child. The application can be obtained ON LINE at www.stjohns.K12.fl.us/food/free  and completed online by following the link to on line Free and Reduced Family Meal Application. Schools have limited availability of printed applications. This single application for the family may be returned to any of the District schools where parents have a child/children enrolled; we prefer that parents return the application to the school where their youngest child is enrolled. The schools will be sending all completed applications to the District School Food Services Office for centralized approval. Until the application is processed and approved by the District Food Service Office, any meal charges will be the responsibility of the adult/guardian. The approval process can take up to ten (10) days.

Your student’(s) meal status (free or reduced) at the end of a school year will continue through the first 30 days of the next school year, or until a new application or eligibility status is on file. Unless a new Family Meal Application has been processed and approved by the 30th day of school, your student’(s) meal status will revert to PAID. You may complete a lunch application at any time during the school year.

PLEASE NOTE:
Students attending a CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) school will not be required to fill out an Application for Free and Reduces lunch. All students eat at no cost at those particular schools. If there is a sibling in the household that attends a non-CEP school, then an application will need to be completed for that student.
CEP schools are as follows:

Crookshank Elementary
Gamble Rogers Middle School
Ketterlinus Elementary School
Murray Middle School        
Osceola Elementary
Otis Mason Elementary School
Sebastian Middle School
South Woods Elementary
St. Johns Technical High School
The Evelyn Hamblen Center (Formerly Transitions)
W.D. Hartley Elementary School
Webster Elementary

PREPAYMENT FOR FOOD ITEMS:

Prepayments to your child’s meal account with a debit or credit card can be made. Just log on to www.paypams.com. Payment can also be received by the food service manager in form of check or cash. If check is used, please indicate students’ name and student personal identification number (PIN) on the check in the memo section. Prepayment is encouraged as it assists in movement of students through the line.

FOOD ALLERGIES:

If your child has food allergies, please provide the school nurse with a physician’s note indicating the allergies and the appropriate substitutions that are recommended by the physician or medical authority.

COMMUNICATION WITH THE FOOD SERVICE MANAGER:

The food service manager is on site prior to the school starting to begin breakfast meal preparation and departs from the school upon completion of lunch. Inquires should be made prior to meal service time or immediately after meal service. Please check with your school to determine the best time to contact the food service manager in the event that you have questions.

PARENTAL RESTRICTIONS:

Restrictions can be placed on your student’s meal account. Once restrictions are placed, they cannot be removed unless the parent provides the food service manager with a letter asking for the restrictions to be removed.

REFUNDS:

Refunds less than $20.00 can be issued through the Food Service Manager of your school`s cafeteria and require a written request. Refunds for amounts higher that this should be requested thought the Food and Nutrition department via email at [email protected] or by calling 904-547-7626.

ACCOUNT BALANCES:

Student account balances can be obtained on www.paypams.com  at no charge. Your student’s account balance, either positive or negative, from the previous school year will roll into the new school year unless a refund has been requested.

MENU:

Menus can be found on the St Johns County School District Website www.stjohns.k12.fl.us under the Food & Nutrition Services Department tab.

© 2024 St. Johns County School District