Meal Prices and Payment Methods
Meal Prices
Breakfast and lunch meals are free for all students at the South Williamsport Area School District. Students must take enough components to qualify as a “meal” as explained below under Lunch Line Procedures. Extras or a la carte do have a cost. Students will not be permitted to purchase extras if they do not have enough funds to cover the purchase.
Online System for Payments or Purchase Tracking
Also available in the App Store or Google Play. 
We encourage all families to utilize SchoolCafe for the following free features:
- Track your student’s account balance
- Track your student’s purchases
- Set low balance reminders so that you student doesn’t run out of funds
Credit card payments will be taken through the website at http://www.schoolcafe.com. A convenience fee is charged for online payments. Parents placing money into multiple student accounts will only be assessed the fee once per total deposit. The South Williamsport Area School District does not receive any portion of the convenience fees.
Other Payment Options
Payments in school:
Checks are preferred with student name & PIN # on the memo line.
Cash deposits need to be placed in a sealed envelope with student’s name and PIN # on outside of envelope.
We ask that Elementary students provide payments to their classroom teacher during morning homeroom rather than taking it through the lunch line. This will speed up the lunch line which will give your student more time to eat.
Lunch Line Procedures
When your student goes through the line, they will be asked to pick options for a complete reimbursable meal. If they don’t take a full reimbursable meal, they will be charged for each component separately. Food service staff members will always encourage your student to take a full reimbursable meal. A full reimbursable meal is as follows:
When your student gets to the cashier, they will need to enter their 5 digit student ID and hit the “Enter” button. The keypad looks as follows. Please practice with your student so that they know their ID number!
Local Meal Charging Policy & Guidelines
Borrowing Guidelines
The District implemented Community Eligibility Provision for all schools within the District. This means that all students are able to have 1 free breakfast and 1 free lunch each day. As such, no student will incur a cost for a meal and no students should have a negative balance.
A la carte items or “extras” are not part of the National School Lunch Program. No sales of a la carte items or extras will be permitted if a student doesn’t have adequate funds in their account.
Meal Account Balances
Funds in the student’s meal account at the end of the school year will be carried over to the next school year.
Accounts of Transferred Students or Graduated Students
A refund from a student’s account is permitted only in the event that the student leaves the school district or the refund is requested by the parent or guardian under special circumstances.
Any unclaimed funds remaining for which a refund was not requested at June 30 will be transferred to a sibling account. If no sibling account exists, the remaining balance will be transferred to a donation account.
Donation Account
Funds in the donation account will be held until the end of the school year. Funds will be allocated as follows:
- Outstanding debt of graduated students
- Outstanding debt of transferred students
- Outstanding debt of free or reduced students
- Outstanding debt of paid students
Any funds remaining will be utilized to offset future outstanding debt.
Food Service Program
Food Service Program
The goal of our food service program is to provide healthy enjoyable meals to students that is part of and supports their learning. Balanced nutrition is a life-time learning goal for children and adults. We strive to make all of our food options nutrition and fun.
At any time you have a question, please contact the Food Service Director by phone or e-mail. We’re looking forward to serving your students.
Tara Stryker, Food Service Director
Email: Send a Message
Phone: (570) 320-4495
Breakfast Program
At Central and Rommelt Elementary, breakfast will be served in the classroom each morning. Each child can decide if they want to take a breakfast.
At the High School, students can enjoy breakfast in the cafeteria before the start of the day or during morning study halls.
Special events
Ice Cream Friday is a special event that we hold every Friday at Central Elementary. Students have the opportunity to purchase ice cream on this day only. All other schools offer ice cream every day as an a la carte option (see section below).
Wellness Wednesday is held once a month at Central Elementary. It allows students to have the opportunity to sample new healthy recipes and receive nutritional information handouts. This is a fun educational event that we encourage all students to participate in. Please encourage your students to participate in this event as well.
Farm to Fork is done at the High School once a week from September through November ending with the harvest feast (Thanksgiving meal). Fruits and vegetables on the menu will be from local farms.
Recipe of the Month is featured in the High School. This item will be labeled on the menu. This is just our way of introducing new foods and finding new items that the children like so we can start offering them more.
A la carte
These items are open to students in 1st grade through 12th grade. If you would like to put limits on your student’s account, send in a written notice to the cafeteria. Please be specific. Notices that contain “one snack per week” are not possible to enforce; please specify which day you would like your child to be allowed to purchase a la carte items.
Weather Delays
During 2 hour delays, there will be no breakfast at Central Elementary and Rommelt Elementary. At the High School, breakfast will be available during morning study halls.
Triennial Assessment of the Wellness Policy
Food Assistance is Available
Students with Disabilities
Nondiscrimination Statement and Complaint Procedures
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or - email:
Program.Intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.