School Food Service Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

  • *What constitutes a school lunch and what is my child required to take to make a complete school lunch?
             Octorara Area School District follows the traditional school lunch pattern with
             Offer vs. Serve Option. The traditional school lunch pattern requires School Food
             Service Departments to offer the following menu options. Offer vs. Serve requires
             the student to take at least three (3) of the five (5) menu options. In addition every
             student must take at least one (1) fruit or vegetable to make their meal complete.
     
                   1 Serving of meat or meat alternative
                   2 Servings of fruit and/or vegetables
                   1 Serving of bread or bread alternative
                   1 Serving of milk
     
    *How will I know when my child needs more money in their account?
             Cashiers remind students when their account balance reaches $5.00. Students are
             then reminded on a daily basis until their account is replenished. Also by setting
             up an account at http://www.schoolcafe.com, (formerly ParentOnline), you can view
             and print your student account information. School Cafe will allow you to set up email
             reminders to remind you when your student’s account is getting low.

    *How many snacks are students allowed to purchase?

             We do not limit the amount of snacks a student may buy. If we determine the
              student is buying an excessive amount of snacks we may call home to verify
              that you are aware of what your student is spending. If a parent requests, we
              are able to put an alert on the account which states NO SNACKS.

    *How does a parent apply for free/reduced meals?

             Parents can submit an application online at http://www.schoolcafe.com. This free
             service enables families to receive program benefits faster. Your application is
             electronically submitted directly to the Food Service Department once you complete
             it and hit submit. Please make sure you check for any errors before submitting and
             once you hit the submit button make sure it is not rejected. If you are unable to apply
             online you must contact the Food Service Department for further instructions
             on how to apply.
     
    *Will any other student know if my child is on the Free and Reduced Meal Program?
             No, each child uses their individual student ID number at the point of sale. Federal
             law prohibits overtly identifying a student by his/her meal eligibility.

    *Where can we find nutritional information for the breakfast and lunches?
             Nutritional information on specific items can be obtained from the Food
             Service Office or the Food Service webpage. Please note nutritional
             information is updated yearly and the current year’s info may not be updated
             until October of that school year.