Child Nutrition Services

The Child Nutrition Services department maintains an Angel Fund that is funded by donations.

The Angel Fund helps families in our district that need assistance paying for school meals for their children. School administrators help identify how to best allocate the funds that will make a positive difference in the lives of our students.

Some families choose to donate the balance left in a student's account when they graduate or leave the district.

Donations may be sent to the Child Nutrition Services department (4540 Tower St. SE, Prior Lake, MN 55372). If you have questions about the Angel Fund, please contact Linda Roach, Child Nutrition Specialist, at (952) 226-0009 or lroach@plsas.org

WHAT IS A SCHOOL LUNCH?

School meals are planned to meet at least one-third of a student's recommended dietary allowance for various age groups. Each student meal includes a minimum of five required food items:

• Meat or meat alternate
• Fruit
• Vegetable
• Grains/bread
• Milk

"OFFER VS. SERVE"

A wide variety of foods are offered within each food group so that students can select a well-balanced meal. USDA requires that students must choose at least three of the five offered food items. All three food items must be selected from different food groups to assure they meet their recommended nutrient levels. One of the three food groups has to be a minimum of a one-half-cup serving of fruit or vegetable. If the student has three different food groups, but does not include the fruit or vegetable, then a la carte prices are charged.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

• (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
  1400 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
• (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
• (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

All schools will continue to use the prepaid computer system for payment of meals. Students enter a personalized number on a keypad and the price of the meal is deducted from their account. Depositing money into your child's meal account is easy! We accept cash, checks or online payments. If you choose to send payments with your child to school, please follow the cash or check payment directions.

CASH

Please send cash in an envelope with your child's first and last name along with teacher's name and homeroom number written on the front of the envelope.

CHECK

Please make checks out to the name of your student's school (example: Five Hawks Elementary). You can write one check out for multiple children, if all attend the same school, just be sure to include all first and last names of the children in the memo part of the check.

ONLINE

You will need to set up an account with SchoolCafé. After your account has been created you may check the balance of your child's account and see their daily purchases, regardless of how payments are made. You can also set up low balance alerts and automatic payments through SchoolCafé.