Free Breakfast & Lunch Through Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Designation
We are excited to share that both breakfast and lunch will be provided at no cost to all students in all schools for the 2025-2026 school year. This is being made possible by the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) designation and funding granted to the District by the New York State Education Department.
The CEP includes one breakfast meal and one lunch meal for each student every full day that school is in session. Additional meals may be purchased at the following prices: breakfast Elementary, $1.85; lunch at the Elementary School, $2.00; breakfast at Middle and High school, $2.00; lunch at the Middle and High Schools, $3.00. There is still an additional cost to purchase à la carte items. À la carte items include, but are not limited to, snacks, bottled water, doubles, and extras.
Previously, only certain families qualified for free meals through New York State. However, due to a new funding provision included in the State budget, Valley Central is now included in this program.
The District is grateful for this funding and we encourage our families to participate in this program to ensure that all children receive the benefits of a nutritious meal.
If you have any questions, please contact the Food Services Department at (845) 457-2400 X16896.
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/ad-3027.pdf, 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:
mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
email:
Program.Intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
School Meals at No Charge
Students enrolled at Valley Central CSD are once again eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2025-26 school year.
The USDA published a final rule in the Federal Register on September 26, 2023, to expand access to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP)1 participation threshold from 40 percent to 25 percent. The rule gives more high-need schools the option to elect CEP and offer all students healthy school meals at no cost when it is financially viable for them to do so.
The combination of the federal change and the Community Eligibility Provision State Subsidy has provided our district with the opportunity to apply for free meals for breakfast and lunch for all of our students. We submitted the application and were awarded the reimbursement rates for every meal.
Can you substitute for a food service worker?
Request an application by email.
VIEW OUR MENU
The Valley Central School District believes one of the most important ways in which we can help our children perform better in their classrooms is to provide them with the nutrition necessary for the healthy growth of their minds and bodies.
At Valley Central, we work with a local farmer to obtain all of our fresh fruits and vegetables. Our menu for both Breakfast and Lunch meets all the required nutrition regulated by NYS Child Nutrition Program. A nutritional analysis is available. There are five components to the lunch meal: Meat/meat alternative, Grain, Vegetable, and Fruit and Milk.
Breakfast and Lunch are free every day for EVERY student for the 2025-26 school year. All students will continue to receive both breakfast and lunch at no cost to families.
Milk price is $.75 if sold separately.
A la carte items or other similar items must be paid/prepaid. No charging of A la carte items will be permitted.
Please note if there a balance owed on a student’s account, they are not able to purchase a la carte items.
Elementary, Middle, and High school students use the WebSmart automated cashier system using their school ID number. Parents may contact MySchoolbucks.com to set up student accounts, or with a check payable to Valley Central School District, or money can be given directly to the cashier to place on your child’s account.
School Breakfast Program
It is a fact that hungry children cannot learn. The first step is ensuring that all students begin the day with a nutritious breakfast at home or at school. School breakfast participation has been shown to improve standardized test scores, make kids more alert in class, and improve classroom behavior.
The School Breakfast Program is available to all students every weekday that school is in session. No advanced registration is necessary; your child can attend every day or only occasionally. School breakfast provides your child with one-quarter of their nutritional needs each day.
Our school breakfast offers a variety of foods each day, which are both tasty and nutritious. Find our Breakfast Menu here.
Working together we can make sure that all of our students start the day alert, well-fed, and ready to learn.
MySchoolbucks.com
Students/Parents/Guardians may pay for extra meals or a la carte items in advance via myschoolbucks.com or with a check payable to Valley Central School District, or money can be given directly to the cashier to place on your child’s account. Any remaining funds for a particular student may/will be carried over to the next school year.
Refunds for withdrawn, and graduating students; a written or e-mailed request for a refund of any money remaining in their account must be submitted. Students who are graduating at the end of the year will be given the option to transfer to a sibling’s account with a written request.
Unclaimed Funds must be requested within one school year. Unclaimed funds will then become the property of the Valley Central School District Food Service Program.
VCSD Wellness Policy
The Valley Central School District recognizes that schools play a critical role in promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical activity. The Valley Central School District is committed to providing a school environment and experiences which promote healthy choices and physical activity.