Meal Prices and Payment
Student Meal Prices School Year 2023-2024
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.
The grace period for students who qualified for free lunch during school year 2022-2023 ends on the following dates:
- Grades Kindergarten - 12th: October 10th, 2023
- Grades PK3-PK4: October 13, 2023
Meal charges for students who have not submitted an updated FARM application will resume after those dates.
Details on qualifying for free lunch based on household income can be found here: dcps.dc.gov/farm.
2023-2024 Student Lunch Prices
Lunch is $3.00 this school year, for all grade levels at non-CEP schools.
All students at CEP schools receive free lunch. All schools offer free breakfast daily for all students.
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:
- Pay with a credit or debit card by creating an account at MySchoolBucks.com; an online prepayment service used by DCPS FNS
- Setup SMART PAY to automatically add money to your student's account whenever it reaches a low balance
- Receive low balance notifications to remind you when funds are low
- Please note: there is a service charge of $2.49 per transaction for MySchoolBucks
- 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, Meal Accounts
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.
Request a Refund from a Student Meal Account
NOTICE 6/26/2023
Due to changes in the District's financial systems, FNS regrets to inform you that refunds are taking longer than expected. Updates will be posted on this page as they become available. Thank you for your understanding.
If you would like to request a refund of the money in your student's meal account, please complete this refund request 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
