Lunch and Breakfast Prices
Food Service News
It is the goal of the Ipswich Middle/High School café to serve nutritious, high quality and reasonable priced meals, breakfast is priced at $1.75 and lunch $2.75. Reduced prices are $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch. Please review the income guidelines for this assistance program to see if you qualify. If you qualify for free or reduced lunch, that also means breakfast. We start serving breakfast at 7:00, so you can drop your child off for breakfast and give them some time for school work and you a couple of minutes to do what you need to do.
In Ipswich we are using the "Lunch Box "pre-pay program. All students automatically have an account with the cafeteria using their student ID number. Using it is optional. Payments can be made on-line, or by sending in cash or a check payable to I.P.S. Food Service. Payments can be mailed, dropped off at the office or sent with your student. Balance information is available by calling 978-356-3137 ext. 248. Our debit card system does a great job of tracking sales and deposits. It has many other functions as well, including the ability to personalize each account, anything from allergies to spending limits.
Some payment options are:
- 20 lunches (1 month) would cost $55.00
- 20 breakfasts and lunches, $90.00
- If your child is approved for reduced meals, the cost for 20 lunches would be $8.00 or $14.00 for both breakfast and lunch. If your child is approved for free meals, the will not be charges for breakfast or lunch, but will be charged for extras or seconds.
The cafeteria offers a wide variety of choices every day. Most of the entrée items are located on the outer perimeter of the serving area, while the salad/vegetable and fruit/dessert choices are conveniently located along the exit lines. Choosing one entrée, one vegetable, and one fruit/dessert along with 8 oz milk, would provide a "meal".
There are many items available for a la carte or "extra" purchasing. These may include a second entrée, lg salad, soft pretzels, low fat yogurt, larger milks, water, pudding, fresh fruit salads and ice cream. The prices range from $.75 to $3.50 (lg salad). If you would like your student to be allowed to purchase "extras" you must call the cafeteria or send in a note, preferable along with your check, to confirm authenticity. Please be specific and establish a limit with your student regarding allowed extras. Charging extras will not be allowed and money may not be taken from an account for vending machine purchases. Using the debit card system is a guarantee that the money is being spent in the cafeteria appropriately. Students are not allowed to make purchases for others from their account. When a student has picked up something they should not have, it will be removed from their tray at check out. For unwrapped items such as pizza or cookies, there will be a charge. At the discretion of the cashiers, the extra items may be taken and discarded. This is only done when the student has been repeatedly reminded of a negative balance or it is repeated practices of a student with no note on file.
In regards to free/reduced meal plans, I urge you to review the application guidelines to see if you may be eligible. If you qualify, your student(s) will be able to receive breakfast and lunch, for free or at the reduced rate. These students enter their ID number just as everyone else does. It is VERY discrete and can be updated at anytime during the school year, if you become ill, disabled or unemployed. If you were on the plan last June, in Ipswich, it will continue to be active only through September. It is necessary to reapply prior the date or meals will be charges to your students account at full price. Any funds remaining in the account at the close of the school year will remain in the account for the following year, or refunded upon graduating or leaving the school.
Sincerely,
Toni Kmiec
Food Service Manager
(tkmiec@ipswichschools.org)
and the Middle/High Café Staff