We want to inform you about an important change to the Middletown Area School District’s Food Service Program. Middletown Area School District school buildings have been designated as Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) sites, meaning all MASD students will be eligible to receive a complete breakfast and lunch daily at no cost. There is no application process for the program - all MASD students are automatically eligible.
Community Eligibility Provision is available to schools and districts that participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. The program requires students to receive a complete, reimbursable meal (breakfast or lunch), meaning they cannot simply take one or two food items as a reimbursable meal. Our cafeteria staff will guide and instruct students to pick up additional food item(s) in the event they do not have a reimbursable meal.
Reimbursable Meal Components
Breakfast - Schools must offer at least four food items within three food components daily: Milk, Fruits, Grains. It is optional to provide a meat /meat alternate and vegetable during breakfast. Students must select at least three food items, with a requirement that one food item be a fruit or vegetable (if offered).
Lunch - Schools must offer five components for lunch: Meat or Meat Alternative, Grain, Fruit, Vegetable, and Milk. Students must select at least three food items, with a requirement that one food item be a fruit or vegetable.
A la carte/Snack Purchases
Students can purchase additional lunch or snack/á la carte items with cash or through a SchoolCafé account. SchoolCafé is the District’s online meal management platform where parents can securely make online payments, monitor account balances, view purchases and payments, and set up low-balance email alerts. Parents can also fund their student’s account by sending cash or a check made payable to “MASD Cafeteria Fund” to your student’s school building. If there is a negative balance on the student's account, à la carte items must be paid with cash.
Additional information about SchoolCafé and student cafeteria accounts is available on the
Food Services page of the District website.
Menus and Food Allergies/Restrictions
Metz Culinary Management will continue to provide cafeteria services to the District. School breakfast and lunch menus will be available on the District website. Nutrition and dietary information can be viewed on menus through SchoolCafé. If your child has food allergies or restrictions, please indicate that information in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. This information will be shared with the District’s Food Service Department. Your child’s physician can also complete a “Medical Plan of Care for School Food Service” form located on the
Food Services page of the District website.
Student Eligibility: Applications/Direct Certification Notifications/Sun Bucks
With the election of CEP, households will no longer need to apply for free or reduced meal eligibility. However, we are required to continue to process and track Direct Certification eligibility (participation in SNAP, TANF or Medicaid (with qualifying income) as part of this program. Notification will be received electronically from our cafeteria system (e-mail
[email protected]) with the subject line “MIDDLETOWN AREA SD Direct Certification Notification.”
Households that qualify through Direct Certification will continue to be automatically eligible for the Summer Sun Bucks Program. All other households would need to apply directly to the
PA Department of Human Services.
RaiderPacks
The District will continue its RaiderPacks program this school year. RaiderPacks contain breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options to cover weekend meals. Visit the
District website for more information about RaiderPacks.
We recognize how healthy eating plays a significant part in school performance, and that is why we are excited to be part of the CEP program and offer all students a nutritious, well-balanced breakfast and lunch. For questions regarding the CEP program or the District’s Food Service Department, please contact Amy Dintiman, MASD School Food Authority Manager,
[email protected], or by 717-948-3300 x1020.