Resource Links :
- Schoolmenu.com
- MyLunchMoney.com
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
- Texas Department of Agriculture
- United States Department of Agriculture
- US Food and Nutrition Information Center
- Kids Health
- Moomilk
- Ask the Dietitian
- All recipes
- Nutrition Explorations
- Dole5aday
- Nutrition for Kids
- Kids Nutrition
- Healthy Choices
- My Pyramid
- Prepay Meals (for Elementary)
- Prepay Meals (for M.S./H.S.)
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I make deposits to my child's account?
- What happens to money left in my child's account at the end of the school year?
- What is the borrowing policy for the food service department?
- How will I know if my student(s) need money in their account?
- Will my child have the same student ID# while enrolled in EPISD?
- What are the current prices for lunch and breakfast?
- Why do school lunches seem so high in starch?
- Why must milk be served with school lunch?
- Why does my school serve only 1% milk and skim milk?
- Why is the adult charge higher than the student charge?
- What does "offer vs. serve" mean?
- Why can't students and adults have seconds?
- Do I have to fill out a free and reduced meal application each year?
- Why was my free and reduced meal application denied?
- Why are bread and potatoes served in the same meal?
Any other questions not answered here please contact the Food & Nutrition Services office at 915-779-4216
How can I make deposits to my child's account?
Deposits can be made with a credit/debit card at myLunchMoney.com for $1.95.
If paying by check, write the student's or students name(s) and student ID# "memo" section of the check.. El Paso ISD Food & Nutrition Services has entered into an agreement with e-Cap electronic check recovery system to handle any returned checks due to insufficient funds. A $30.00 fee will be charged on all returned checks plus the value of the check.
If paying by cash, enclose a piece of paper with the student's or students' name(s) and ID # with the money in an envelope
Deposits on an account can be made at any time either before school or during lunch, but to help serve you better, we would encourage you to make deposits in the morning before school.
Any amount may be deposited on any day. The cashier will remind the student his/her account balance is getting low. School Messenger will call home with low and negative balances.
What happens to money left in my child's account at the end of the school year?
If your child has balance in his/her account at the end of the school year, the money will be available on the first day of school the following year. Your child must be enrolled during the last week of school for the money to transfer. Any student not enrolled during the last week of school will not have money transferred to the next school year. Refunds must be requested before the last day of school. Students not returning to the district must request a refund from the school cafeteria before the last day of school. Negative balances will transfer to the next school year also. All balances will transfer whether your child remains in the same school or moves to another EPISD school.
What is the borrowing policy for the food service department?
The EPISD Food and Nutrition Service Department will allow students at the elementary level borrow up to $5.00 for lunch or breakfast. As a courtesy if your child does not have the correct funds for lunch he/she will be given a cheese sandwich, mayo and a glass of ice water at no charge.
Middle and High school students are not permitted to borrow based on Campus administration decisions.
The EPISD Food and Nutrition Department does not allow borrowing at any time for the purchase of a la carte items.
How will I know if my student(s) need money in their account?
By setting up an account with myLunchMoney.com you can track your student(s) account balances without making a payment.
Calls will also be made to student homes using School Messenger to notify students that have low balances and negative balances.
Letters are also sent home twice a week from the cafeteria if your student has a negative balance
Will my child have the same student ID# while enrolled in EPISD?
Student identification numbers are issued by the district and will be valid while attending any EPISD schools.
What are the current prices for lunch and breakfast?
Elementary lunch prices are $1.65 for full paying students and $0.40 for reduced students. Breakfast costs $1.15 for full paying students and $0.30 for reduced students.
Middle and High school lunch prices are $1.75 for full paying students and $0.40 for reduced students. Breakfast costs $1.15 for full paying students and $0.30 for reduced students.
Why do school lunches seem so high in starch?
The school lunch pattern requires schools to serve eight bread or bread alternates per week. This regulation came about as a result of the dietary guideline for Americans to increase our consumption of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, breads, pasta and cereal products contain many essential nutrients in addition to calories.
At the base of the Food Guide Pyramid are breads, cereals, rice and pasta - all foods from grains. The average American diet is low in dietary fiber which should include 6 - 11 servings of these foods from grain each day.
Why must milk be served with school lunch?
Eight ounces (1 cup) of fluid milk is a required component of the school lunch pattern. No other beverage (juice, ice tea, or soda), nor food (ice cream, cottage cheese, or yogurt), can be substituted for this required component.
Why does my school serve only 1% milk and skim milk?
Because low fat milk has a low fat content, it is consistent with the dietary guideline to avoid too much fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. When low fat milk is offered, only the fat content changes. All other nutrients are comparable to those in other milk chocolate and strawberry milk are also low fat products and are offered in elementary as well as secondary schools.
Why are bread and potatoes served in the same meal?
A bread or bread alternate is a required component of the school lunch pattern. Potatoes are considered a vegetable and meet only the fruit/vegetable requirements of the lunch pattern.
Why is the adult charge higher than the student charge?
The intent of the National School Lunch Program is to provide nutritious and low cost meals to children. Since this program is for children, there is no federal assistance for meals served to adults. An adult should receive the same size meal as that of a secondary student.
What does "offer vs. serve" mean?
Offer versus serve as established in October 1975 when Public Law 94-105 mandated that students in high school would not be required to accept offered foods, they did not intend to consume. At the middle school and elementary levels, the policy is optional and it is up to each individual district to decide whether they wish to extend offer vs. serve in middle or elementary schools. EPISD Food and Nutrition Service Department has extended offer vs. serve to include the elementary and middle schools. The five components of the meal include:
- Meat or meal alternate
- Fruit
- Vegetable
- Bread or Bread Alternate
- Milk
As long as the student takes three of the five items, the meal will counted as a complete meal and eligible for reimbursement.
Why can't students and adults have seconds?
The intention of the National School Lunch Program is to provide "one meal per child per day." Kitchen managers plan and prepare meals based on the average number of students who participate in the lunch program. In order to control costs, the manager should not prepare for second servings and should practice portion control on the servings she does prepare.
Do I have to fill out a free and reduced meal application each year?
Yes! The federal program requires that the application be filled out with all the required information before it can be processed. Parents need to fill out only one application for all the children they have in elementary and middle school. This application should list all school-age children.
Why was my free and reduced meal application denied?
If your income is too high or the information requested on the application was incomplete, your application will be denied.
Why are bread and potatoes served in the same meal?
A bread or bread alternate is a required component of the school lunch pattern. Potatoes are considered a vegetable and meet only the fruit/vegetable requirements of the lunch pattern.
