Coxsackie-Athens Central School District

FREE SUMMER BREAKFAST & LUNCH FOR KIDS

Free meals for all children ages 18 or under will be provided this summer from July 5 through August 5, 2022.

Free breakfast & lunch for children will be available Monday through Friday at 8:30am and 11:45am respectively beginning on July 6. Main Campus meals will be served from Coxsackie-Athens Middle School Cafeteria. This year it is planned that meals will also be available from the EJA Main Office. Signs will be posted.

No registration or income requirements are needed. Anyone 18 years old or younger can receive a free meal, regardless if they are a district resident. If you have questions, please contact the Food Service Director, Mary DiStefano at 518-731-1821.

Coxsackie-Athens Central School District provides free summer meals for kids in partnership with the USDA Summer Food Service Program.

The Community Eligibility Provision

We are pleased to inform you that the Coxsackie-Athens School District will be implementing a new option available to schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This no charge program is available for all students enrolled in the Coxsackie Athens School District during the 2021-22 School Year.

Meals at no cost are possible because of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010. Each school cafeteria provides a healthy breakfast and lunch each day and we hope you will take advantage of this incredible opportunity. No further action is required of you. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit an application.

In addition to healthy meals, students will also have the opportunity to purchase a variety of snacks and beverages that comply with the “Smart Snack Sold in School” regulation. Please note that snack items and beverages must be purchased and no charges will be allowed. Students will have the option of paying for snacks as they come through the serving line or pay in advance by depositing money into their My School Bucks account. For more detailed information, please visit www.myschoolbucks.com. All students will use their 4 digit PIN to access their accounts to purchase snacks and beverages.

Healthy School Menus

"If a sharp mind is the basis for learning, healthful meals are the food for thought.”

With childhood obesity rates at an all time high, crafting healthy school lunch menus that appeal to kids has never been more important. We offer fresh, interesting and healthy menus that meet USDA nutritional guidelines.

Recipe Development

Coxsackie Athens School District menu development process begins with a review of our extensive recipe database with resources from locally grown fruit and vegetables and USDA commodity products. And coming soon, Farm To School initiatives.

All menus are created through our USDA-approved nutritional analysis software to make sure that all comply and meet age-appropriate targets for calories, total fat (30% or less) and saturated fat (10% or less). Our nutritional analysis also makes sure that our menus provide the proper levels of protein, vitamins, fiber, minerals, calcium and sodium for our students.

Please see our Meal Shaming Policy, where our goal is to ensure that students are not shamed or treated differently for paid/unpaid meal fees.

Coxsackie-Athens Central School District is committed to the optimal development of every student. To achieve personal, academic, developmental and social success, we need to create positive, safe and health promoting learning environments at every level, in every setting, throughout the school year. Please see our Wellness Policy for more information.

If we can be of any further assistance, please contact Mary DiStefano at 518-731-1821 or distefanom@cacsd.org.