Food and Child Nutrition Services
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Pflugerville ISD Food Services Offers Free Summer Meals for Children
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Updates on PfISD School Lunch Charge Policy
As we shared with Staff and Families in the past few weeks, due to a large balance of unpaid lunch charges owed to PfISD (more than $180,000 at this time), PfISD has reinstituted a pre-COVID policy of substituting the main entrée for those students who currently owe more than $6 on their lunch account. We have received several questions and seen social media content raising questions about the policy, and we wanted to share more information with our staff and parents.
We know that good nutrition is a cornerstone of a student's well-being, and although the entrée is substituted for a sandwich, the students are allowed to keep all sides included with the regular lunch meal. District and Aramark staff have reached out to families to attempt to set up a payment plan and have the families complete the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Application, which would reduce or eliminate the cost for these students to eat lunch. We will continue these efforts.
We have a balance deficit of over $180,000 due to unpaid lunches –ten times the previous norm. The district was fortunate enough to leverage federal funding and offer several years of free lunch options for students due to Covid. Unfortunately, those federal funds have decreased or ended. We began informing families last summer that the free lunches were no longer available for students for the 23-24 school year. Pflugerville ISD has been lucky to be one of the few districts still offering free breakfast to all students.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees school lunches, school districts must pay for any outstanding school lunch balances from their general fund at the end of the school year. We must redirect funds away from students' programs and teachers' resources to meet this federal payment requirement. In Pre-Covid years, the district could expect to see a negative lunch balance of $16,000 - $18,000 at the end of the year. This year, we increased our budget for unpaid meal accounts to $30,000K in anticipation of growing needs within our district. Additionally, PfISD has not raised meal prices in 5 years. Since 2011, the USDA has mandated price increases for school lunches; however, districts with positive fund balances can opt out and NOT increase the price of school lunches, which PfISD has done.
MySchoolBucks (Lunch Payment System)
PfISD uses MySchoolBucks as its payment processing system for school lunches. This is a preferred system used by many school districts in our area, and is one of the largest providers of this type of payment system.Any parent or guardian can place funds on their child's account via MySchoolBucks. The $2.75 surcharge by the vendor is per transaction, whether you put $5 on a student's account or $5,000. We have tried negotiating surcharges for MySchoolBucks in the past but have yet to be able to reduce their fees.
To enroll in My SchoolBucks and pay for lunch meals online:
- Go to www.MySchoolBucks.com and register for a free account.
- You will receive a confirmation email with a link to activate your account.
- Add your students using their school name and student ID (Just the number, no "s" needed before the numbers).
- Make a payment to your student's accounts with your credit/debit card (there is a $2.75 charge per transaction) or echeck.
A program fee may apply. You will have the opportunity to review any fees and cancel if you choose before you are charged.
If you have any questions, contact MySchoolBucks directly:
- parentsupport@myschoolbucks.com
- 1-855-832-5226
- Visit myschoolbucks.com and click on Help/FAQ's
Parents can also pay for their child's lunches via check or cash. Checks can be made out to Pflugerville ISD. Payment can be sent with a student to give to cafeteria workers, parents may bring the deposit to the school cafeteria, or they can deliver it to the Aramark office (Pflugerville IS Food and Child Nutrition Services Office, 1401C W. Pecan St., Pflugerville, TX 78660)
Board Agenda Item
Food service funds can only be spent on food service-related items. Costs can include the percentage of square feet of a campus used for food services (kitchen, servery, dining room) applied to utilities; cafeteria FFE including tables; and kitchen equipment.The items on the board agenda reflect food service items needed to sustain the program. Many items are original pieces of equipment at respective schools for which the district and Aramark are diligent in maintaining. They are replaced as they are obsolete, have obsolete or costly parts, or are a safety concern. Without a food service fund, these would be paid for by general fund.
Limiting A La Carte items
Parents have always had the ability to limit their child's account and choices. There are instructions on the district's website under Food Services, or you can complete this form and email it to denise.meserole@pfisd.netA La Carte Item Prices
Regarding the pricing of a la carte items, PfISD prices are already significantly lower in comparison to a local drive-thru coffee shop; PfISD found the following-- PfISD Otis Spunkmeyer muffins ($1.55) vs. coffee shop "muffin top" ($4.55)
- PfISD 12 oz coffee (when sold) ($1.95) vs. coffee shop ($3.10)
- PfISD 12 oz latte (when sold) ($3.25) vs. coffee shop ($5.45)
- PfISD Large cookie ($1.25) vs. coffee shop ($3.95)
- *To note- USDA requires specific sizes and nutrients deemed healthy via SMART SNACK initiatives.
Regarding the contract with Aramark
- Aramark purchases all the food and staffs the labor at their cost.
- Aramark can only take annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) for each annual renewal of a five-year contract. In the last three years, the timing and the rate of CPI versus actual inflation have not been equivalent. CPI has not kept up with the cost of food/ inflation.
- If food cost or labor wage leveling occurs, Aramark incurs that, not PfISD.
- Aramark absorbs the cost of a replaced meal. A replaced entrée is the price of two entrees (the discarded one and the sandwich). The district does not incur this cost.
Feeding the Future: PfISD Food Services Provides Nutritious Meals for Students
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Aramark is proud to serve Pflugerville Independent School District. In conjunction with the district, we strive to help nurture students' well-being, improve their overall dining experience, and adopt healthy lifestyles by providing nutritious menus, innovative dining environments, and wellness-based education and promotions.
- This includes nearly 18 tons of donated food to area food banks, assistance with Pflugerville Pfiends weekend backpack programs, and over 300 bikes and helmets for our students since 2007.
- Since 2007, Pflugerville ISD has offered Universal Free Breakfast and Breakfast In The Classroom, both USDA programs.
- Pflugerville ISD was one of the first districts in the state of Texas to offer CACFP supper meals, bringing the total of meals served at some PfISD campuses to four per day.
- Pflugerville ISD has both a Chef and a Registered Dietitian who assists in menu planning and recipe development.
- Aramark and our local onsite team help instill health and wellness initiatives that are tailored to the needs of the campus.
- We have a nationally recognized community relations program that not only partners with Pflugerville ISD and the city of Pflugerville but leads in addressing the needs of our community.
- The "Go For More" is a complimentary fruit and vegetable offering program that was started in Pflugerville ISD for our elementary students.
- Our food trailers have been recognized by local, state, and national entities (Food Network), and were the first to offer reimbursable meals. They were also designed with help from PfISD students.
- Our P.O.D. concepts are a direct result of engaging students and faculty's needs and providing solutions. Our HHS P.O.D. is the first of its kind in Aramark.
- We grilled over 100,000 hotdogs during Pflugerville Field Days.
- We have secured over 2 million in grants for the district.
- We are recognized by our communities for our engagement collaborations and mentoring programs.
Pay It Forward
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Pay It Forward is designed for parents, businesses, and members of the community to donate funds to pay off negative food service account balances. If you wish to donate funds to PfISD meal balances via "Pay It Forward," please contact Geoff Holle at 512-594-0432.
Lunch Payments
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MySchoolBucks is available to PfISD households for online prepayment for meal accounts (there is a $2.75 service charge per transaction). Cash and checks via your school cafeteria are also acceptable forms of payment (no fee for use). Checks can be made out to Pflugerville ISD.
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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- 17Fax2Mailpdf, 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: 1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442: or 3. email: program.intake@usda.gov This institution is an equal opportunity provider.