Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is a Reimbursable Lunch?
A. A Reimbursable lunch includes protein (meat/meat alternate such as cheese), bread/grain, fruit, vegetables and 8 oz of low-fat or non-fat milk. Students must choose a minimum of 3 of the 5 components AND MUST CHOOSE A FRUIT OR VEGETABLE AS ONE OF THE THREE components to be considered a lunch.

Q. If a student is eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunches, is he/she eligible for Free or Reduced Price Breakfast?
A. YES, they are eligible for BOTH breakfast and lunch at their Free or Reduced Price.

Q. If a student is eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals, can they choose from any menu options?
A. Yes, all menu/meals are included if you participate in the Free or Reduced Price program. A la carte is not included and current pricing applies.

Q. What are the prices of breakfast & lunch?


Breakfast

Lunch

Elementary

$0.00

$2.70

Intermediate/Middle

$0.00

$2.90

High School

$0.00

$3.25

Reduced Price

$0.00 

$0.00

Milk

$0.65

$0.65

Q. How do I apply for Free or Reduced Price meals?
A. EASD is now accepting applications online. Please click on the Free & Reduced Program link and the School Cafe icon or link to complete your application. Applications are no longer being mailed home.

If you are denied and your situation changes, you can reapply as many times as you need to throughout the school year to see if your eligibility changes.

Q. Do I need to complete a separate application for each family member or if my children attend different schools within the Ephrata Area School District?
A. NO, you only need to complete ONE application PER FAMILY.

Q. If I received Free or Reduced Price Meals the previous year, do I need to apply for the new school year?
A. YES, a new application must be submitted every year. There is a 30-day grace period for applications at the beginning of the school year. During this 30-day grace period, students who were on the program the previous year will be carried over, but will be removed at the end of the 30 days if a new application is not submitted.

Q. What is Primeroedge/SchoolCafe?
A. SchoolCafe powered by Primeroedge is our computerized Point of Sale (POS) system installed throughout our District.

Q. How does SchoolCafe POS work?
A. SchoolCafe allows parents and students to pre-pay for breakfast and/or lunch purchases by depositing money into their individual account. Envelopes with cash or checks accompanied by completed account deposit slips can be placed into the student’s school’s payment drop box. In order for a deposit to be guaranteed entry for that day, it must be put into the drop box by 9:30 AM.

SchoolCafe also offers online deposits as an alternative way to deposit money directly into your student’s account. SchoolCafe.com assesses a $2.25 fee per transaction to your credit card when utilizing this alternative prepayment system. Parents can deposit up to $100 in one transaction. Multiple student deposits can be made within the $100 limit. In addition, parents have the ability to transfer funds between their student’s accounts. Deposits made prior to 9 AM will be available for your student’s use that day; payments made after 9 AM may not be available until the next school day.

Q. How do I use my account?
A. Upon initial enrollment, student’s account information is automatically uploaded into the system. Students make purchases by using their ID card. Accounts are used to purchase breakfast and/or lunch whether using cash or deposited money from their account. An initial deposit (cash or check made out to EASD-FSF) along with a completed account deposit slip (student’s name, ID number, amount of deposit and check number if applicable) must be mailed or returned in person by you or the student to their school’s cafeteria or an online deposit can be made. Once deposited, your student’s account funds will be available for use. (Prepayment/Deposit Forms can be found under that Link on the Food Service home page.)

Q. What if my child loses their ID card?
A. Students should go to their school’s office to purchase a replacement.

Q. How can I check the balance of my child’s account?
A.  Parents can go online to SchoolCafe.com and create an account to view their student’s account balance and purchases. There is no fee for this service. (Please see the SchoolCafe link on the Food Service Homepage.) Only purchases from the time the account is created and beyond will appear; purchases made prior to creating the account will not show up in SchoolCafe. Parents can also call their school’s Cafeteria Manager at any time and request an account balance, purchase print out or add restrictions to their child’s account.

Due to the PA Lunch Shaming Law enacted in 2017, we are no longer allowed to tell students their account balance. Emails & phone calls to negative balance accounts will be sent twice/week (Tuesdays & Thursdays) for all accounts in the negative.  When funds are received, the lunches owed will be immediately deducted.  As a courtesy, emails & phone calls will also be sent once/week (Tuesdays) when accounts fall below $10.00. Students who go into the negative (owe money) will not be able to purchase any a la carte using their account which includes milk until their account has a positive balance.

Q. What do I do if I want my child to only be able to purchase school meals and no extras or a la carte?
A. On every account deposit slip, there is an area to check (1) school meals only, (2) school meals/double meals or (3) school meals and a la carte. Please check your desired choice when you complete the deposit slip and send in a deposit. You may change this any time throughout the school year. You may also call the Cafeteria Manager to have your choice changed at any time. If you choose no a la carte, please remember that your student’s account cannot be used to purchase any extras including milk, an extra sandwich, fruit, snacks, etc. Your child would need to use cash to purchase any of these items.

Q. How do I find out nutritional information of a meal or product?
A. This information is available on the menus/nutritional information page.

Q. What do I do if my child is transferring to another District or graduating and there is still money in his/her account?
A. Please complete a Request for Refund Form (see Link on home page) and submit it to the Food Services Office. After receiving and processing your request, checks are mailed after Board Meeting approval.

Q. What if my child has an allergy?
A. A current statement or Medical Plan of Care form signed by your doctor must be submitted to the school nurse regarding the allergy and what substitutions may be made. An updated statement should be provided if/when anything changes regarding the allergy. Please note that according to a new USDA regulation, we can no longer offer juice as a substitute for students with milk intolerance or non-disabling allergies. Due to this regulation change, parents/guardians may send a milk substitute with their child or purchase water or juice a la carte. Parents/guardians may also send medication such as Lactaid in to the nurse who can administer it to your child prior to their lunch period. Lactaid or any other medication will require a physician’s note that states the name of the medication, dose and administration directions. Please do not hesitate to contact the Food Service Office with any questions regarding allergies.

Q. Am I eligible for a P-EBT card for this past summer?
A. PA DHS issues P-EBT benefits. Please read this family guide for additional detailed information.

Thank you for your support of the lunch program. Please call if you have any questions. You may call the school and ask for the cafeteria or call the Food Service office at 717-721-1400 X11302.

Food Service Information

Food Service Forms

Fresh Foods

We freshly prepare meals using local brands you use at home, including Tyson chicken, Jennio turkey, Swiss milk, Land O' Lakes cheese, and locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables.  Fresh salad meals are also prepared daily.  Plus, students can start their day with one of our breakfast meals!