August 22, 2022

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As we welcome students back for the 2022-23 school year, we want to remind you about the benefit of school meals, which continue to be some of the healthiest meal options for students. Our mealtimes feature kid-approved foods and are an important part of the learning day.     

Thanks to nationwide waivers for federally funded meal programs, school meals were free to all students through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, these waivers have expired, and schools must return to charging for breakfast and lunch. Free or reduced-priced meals are only available to students who qualify for these benefits, but all students, regardless of family situations, are encouraged to dine in the cafeteria together. For the 2022-23 school year, lunch for elementary schools will cost $2.70 and Northley will cost $3.00. The High School is Ala Carte for all meals and will offer meals to those students qualifying for free and reduced eligibility.  Click here for Ala Carte pricing.

Our goal is to continue supporting all students and families by ensuring those who need free meals at school continue to receive them – especially while understanding that the pandemic has created new hardships for many families, including those who have never previously relied on school meals.  We also understand that many households have not submitted a meal application in a few years. 

We encourage all families, regardless of income, to complete and submit a short, confidential school meal application prior to the start of the school year to ensure that there are no gaps in meal benefits for students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.  Parents or guardians can submit this application online at schoolcafe.com or in person at your child’s school office. It’s an easy and confidential way to ensure your child stays well-nourished at school.

For families with multiple students in the district, please only submit one application listing all sibling names on the application including any high school students. If qualified, meal benefits will apply for the entire school year. Should your household financial circumstances change at any time, please be aware that applications can be submitted throughout the year. For families receiving other benefits, such as SNAP or TANF, you may receive notification that your student(s) is/are automatically eligible for free meals and do not need to submit an application.

New applications must be submitted every year and previous applications expire after 30 operating days of the new school year.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact the Food Service Office at the e-mail addresses below.

Thank you,

Michael Puliti mpuliti@pdsd.org

Dawn Scott dscott@pdsd.org

Lunch is an important part of the day in Penn-Delco.  We are pleased to offer our students a relaxed environment for them to socialize and enjoy a meal.  Please be sure to provide a bag lunch or lunch money for your child each day.  Parents/guardians are encouraged to use the debit system, which enables you to send a check or cash in advance to credit your child’s account. You can access this system at the following address: www.myschoolbucks.com.  

You can also add money to your child’s account by sending a check made payable to the Penn-Delco School District. The check should be placed in an envelope labeled lunch with your child’s name and room number. A computerized check out system is used at lunch with student ID numbers. Each student has a student ID number that remains the same each year.  New students and first grade students will be given an ID number on the first day of school. Free or reduced lunch will utilize the same debit account system; funds are credited directly to the student account.

My School Bucks allows parents to view their child’s lunch account, add funds (for a small fee), check balances, or view what is being purchased.   Students will still have the ability to purchase items in cash if that is their choice. 

We encourage families to apply to ensure future eligibility and benefits, such as the P-EBT Program (apply online here.)