Meal Prices and Payment

Student Meal Prices School Year 2023-2023

Breakfast and the afterschool snack and supper programs (where applicable) are universally free for DCPS students. DCPS students who are approved for free or reduced meals, or who attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school will receive lunch at no charge.

For students who do not qualify for free lunch (details on qualifying for free lunch based on household income can be found here: dcps.dc.gov/farm), the lunch price is listed below. The grace period for students who qualified for free lunch during school year 2021-2022 ends on the following dates:

• Grades kindergarten - 12th: October 14, 2022
• Grades PK3-PK4: October 19, 2022

Meal charges will resume after those dates.

 

2022-2023 Student Lunch Prices

Lunch is $3.00 this school year for all grade levels

 

Student Meal Payment

Students' meal accounts function as a debit account. When a student goes through the lunch line to receive a meal at non-CEP schools, they give the cafeteria manager their name or student ID number. The cost of the meal is the deducted from their student meal account (no charge at CEP schools).

If there are insufficient funds in the student's meal account, the student still receives a meal, and the student meal account will show a negative balance with the associated cost.

You can add funds to your students' meal account in two ways:

1. Pay with a credit or debit card by creating an account at MySchoolBucks.com; an online prepayment service used by DCPS FNS
   1. Setup SMART PAY to automatically add money to your student's account whenever it reaches a low balance
   2. Receive low balance notifications to remind you when funds are low
   3. Please note: there is a service charge of $2.49 per transaction for MySchoolBucks
2. By sending a check or money order made payable to the DC Treasurer to the following address*:

 

DCPS Food and Nutrition Services

ATTN: Nadine James

1200 First Street, NE, 9th Floor

Washington, DC 20002

 

*The student ID# MUST be included on the check!

 

Negative Meal Balance Notification

If a student's balance goes below zero, the student's parent/guardian will receive communication with the amount due on the meal account balance and instructions to add funds to their student's account. Routinely throughout the school year, parents/guardians of students with negative meal balances will receive courtesy communications through email and text regarding meal balances.

There is no limit to the negative balance a student can accrue. There are no alternative meals served to a student with a negative balance. Students will continue to accrue a greater negative balance until additional funds are put onto their account. When funds are put onto a student's account, it will first pay off the negative balance. If a student's negative balance is not paid at the end of the school year, it will roll over into the next school year.

 

How to request a refund from a student meal account

If you would like to request a refund of the money in your student's meal account, please complete this refund request form OR email [email protected] to request a paper copy of the form. If you would like to request a transfer of funds between your students' accounts please email [email protected] or call us at 202-299-2159. 

 

Deactivate Student Meal Account

By deactivating a student's meal account, the student will not be able to receive a meal or milk during lunch. They will still be able to receive free breakfast and afterschool snack or supper. This ensures that there will be no meal or milk lunch charges to a student's account.

Deactivate Student Lunch Account