2022 — 2023 Food & Nutrition Services Information
Welcome to the Food and Nutrition Services department! We are eager to serve the students of Dickinson Independent School District nutritious and well-balanced meals each and every school day. All thirteen campuses prepare fresh meals on-site each day for students and staff.
The Food and Nutrition department operates under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the National Breakfast Program (SBP). Each of these programs is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the federal level and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) on the state level. The Dickinson Independent School District's Food and Nutrition Services program is a self-supported program operating on self-generated funds and paying all expenses independently. The Food and Nutrition Services department does not utilize local property tax funds for its operational expenses.
Free & Reduced Meal Applications Online
Dickinson ISD requests all households to complete the very easy application using any computer, smartphone or any device with internet access. Applications are available August 1 of every school year. Paper applications can be requested. Click for application.
Lunch Money Now (LMN)
We encourage all parents to set up a LMN account to view your student’s meals and snacks eaten daily. It is a convenient way for parents to receive not only an email but also a text that your student’s balance is low or has reached a preset dollar amount. Parents with students on the Free and Reduced meal program can also utilize LMN. It allows parents to set up recurring payments to your student’s account and view account balances. Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal can be used to make deposits on the secure (SSL) site and are available on the student’s account within an hour of the transaction. There is a small $2.50 charge per transaction and multiple students can have money deposited in a single transaction. Parents and guardians who prefer to make their payment in person may do so at any school campus with a scheduled appointment. This year there will be an option to donate to “Feed All Kids” on Lunch Money Now each time you make a deposit in your student meal account.
Pricing for the 2022-2023 School Year
School lunches no longer free for all students in 2022-2023
For the last two years, all students could eat free of charge regardless of their meal benefits status due to a special federal program. Starting with the 2022-2023 school year, students that do not qualify for meal benefits will be required to pay for meals.
Breakfast will continue to be offered free of charge to all students under the Universal Free Breakfast program provision, regardless of household income.
Lunch: paid student prices are:
Elementary (PK-4) $2.00
Middle School (5-6) $2.50
Junior High School (7-8) $2.50
High School (9-12) $2.75
Adult Meal Pricing [Teacher/Staff]:
Breakfast: $3.00
Lunch: $4.75
Insufficient Checks
Checks returned for insufficient funds will not be accepted for future payments. Cash, money orders or using Lunch Money Now will be the only payment options.
District Meal Charge Policy
The meal charge policy must be communicated in writing to all households at the start of each school year and to households transferring to the school during the school year. This charge policy will be included in with the ‘letter to households’ about the free and reduced program.
When account balance is negative an automated call and an email will occur weekly and will continue until the account is brought to a positive balance. Parents will receive an email/phone call weekly reminding you to use Lunch Money Now online to check their students balance, make a deposit, or pay with cash or check at any school campus.
If FNS has not received payment and the Grace Period is exhausted and meal charges have not been paid then FNS will send a U.S. Postal letter to the parent to remind them we have been feeding your child in good faith, and that money is owed to the student’s account. Automated calls and emails will continue to the parent phone number on file with the district. If after being notified by mail and FNS has not received payment FNS managers will contact their school principal to make contact with the parent. A decision will be made by the Principal to either continue feeding the child in good faith or discontinue feeding lunch at school. The parent will be informed and expected to send a lunch to school so your child does not do without a lunch or parents will apply for the Free/Reduced meal program. Nonprofit School Food Service resources may not be used to cover costs related to Bad Debt arising from uncollected student meal accounts and Dickinson School District will be responsible for paying those delinquent accounts.
Dickinson ISD will collect on all unpaid meal charges. The parent/guardian is responsible to repay any charges that have accrued before the end of the school year and for charges made prior to application approval. All charges will be carried over to the students account the following year. We will stop taking checks 2 weeks before the end of school.
Revisions to the Charge Policy will be updated and posted online at Dickinson ISD website as TDA/USDA makes available.