SOUTH HADLEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Food Services Department
100 Mosier Street
South Hadley, MA 01075
413-534-1995
Dear Parent/Guardian,
I would like to welcome everyone back to a new school year, and update you on a few things that affect the school lunch program for your child(ren).
The School Committee voted to increase the price for lunches in the upcoming school year: Plains School lunch will cost $1.75, Mosier & Middle will cost $2.00, and the High School will cost $2.25. In addition, the cost for a-la-carte milk (bought separately) will be forty cents. (One milk is included in the lunch price.)
If a student forgets to bring in lunch money one day, they will still get lunch by “charging” it. A maximum of three regular meals will be provided to each student without money. After charging three meals, the student’s next lunch will be a replacement meal consisting of a peanut butter or plain cheese sandwich with milk (Plains & Mosier will not receive a peanut butter sandwich). You will be billed for the replacement meals at the regular price lunch. We do not intend to let any child go hungry, but parents must be responsible for payment of school meals so that we can operate our program at the lowest possible cost.
A letter will be sent home from your child’s school to inform you when your child has charged three meals and has received the replacement meal. This letter will contain the amount of money that your child owes for their meals. The child will not receive the regular meal until they have paid for the meals owed.
Tickets are not used in the elementary or middle schools because many students lose them and/or they are stolen or sold. We account for the number of lunches your child has purchased with a roster accounting system. Each cafeteria manager keeps very accurate records of the student’s daily purchases. If at any time you would like to know your child’s meal payment status, you may speak with the cafeteria manager, call the Food Service Office at 534-1995, or email Matt Hoagland at mhoagland@shschools.com Tickets are used at the high school, and students must have them with them each day to be punched at the register and returned to the cafeteria manager at the end of each week.
Menus are posted in each cafeteria, as well as being sent home in the monthly newsletters.
Lunches can be paid for on Monday mornings in each school cafeteria. You can pay weekly, monthly, or whatever works in your budget. If your child does not consume lunch on any particular day, they will receive credit for an additional meal the following week or day.
If you have submitted an application for free and reduced meals for your household, you will be notified of the status once we complete the review. Please be patient while we process applications. If you have paid for meals and are later notified that you are eligible for free or reduced price meals, please contact your school cafeteria manager and a refund will be given to you for meals not consumed.
We look forward to serving your child with high quality and nutritious school meals.
Sincerely yours,
Matt Hoagland
Director of Food Services
-OR-
