Applications for free or reduced school meals may now be completed online
Aug 01, 2013 | 2736 views | 0 0 comments | 408 408 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Parents and guardians of public school students in Utah are now able to apply for free and reduced school meals online, thanks to recent and ongoing expansions of the services and tools available on the statewide Student Information System (SIS) network.

Parents and students have long used the SIS system for checking grades and attendance, but now they can also track balances on school meal accounts, pay fees, and apply for free or reduced meals. Check with local school officials during registration for more information on how to set up and manage SIS accounts and notifications.

Parents of students enrolled in Moab Charter School or Grand County schools must complete a new application for the student prior to Sept. 26, according to information from the GCSD food service staff. If a new application is not filled out and approved before that date, full price charges will be charged and the parents will be financially responsible for the debt accrued, according to a news release.

Computers and staff will be available to help with the process during Helen M. Knight Elementary School’s Back to School events and registration. For those who need additional assistance, contact Deb Rappe at HMK. The Moab Valley Multicultural Center has also partnered with the school food service staff to assist those who need help with applications. For more information, contact Rhiana Medina at 435-259-5444.

A few other recent changes and items of note have been outlined by Grand County School District’s food service department:

• All students will only be allowed to have no more than two meal charges, or $6 total. Parents are responsible for keeping track of the funds in their students’ accounts, and are asked to make sure they a balance in their accounts at all times.

• Extra cartons of milk may still be purchased, but their price has doubled from 25 cents to 50 cents. The food service department also said it would be selling larger containers of 100 percent fruit juice, in addition to carbonated water, bottled water and larger milk containers.

• Students may also purchase an extra entrée, side dish or dessert “a la carte,” using cash or charging their accounts. Although the cafeterias are not allowed to serve seconds of the main entrée item served on a given day, leftovers may be served as extra items the following day.

Just as it was last year, Grand County High School is an entirely nut-free campus, so peanut butter and similar options won’t be available there.

 The food service department also said that it has recently purchased new equipment, including a char-broiler to cook hamburgers and grill chicken breasts for sandwiches and salads. 
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