Newark City Schools

A Community of Opportunity and Learning

Food Service

The goal of the Newark Schools' Food Service Department is to serve nutritious meals in a friendly, clean and caring environment. During the school year, the food service department serves approximately 1,052,778 meals - this includes breakfast and lunch.

Meal Prices

(Elementary, Middle School and High School)

Breakfast - no charge

Lunch - $3

Milk - 50 cents

Due to uncertain availability and shortages of food supply items, The meals during this time will vary from school to school.

Adult meals cost $4.75 each

Every meal served will consist of the USDA Federal Mandated 2 Meat, 2 Grain, 1 Fruit, 1 vegetable and milk. If you have a child with a food allergy or medical condition that is a disability, please contact your school nurse to be sure the required medical forms are on file. We appreciate your understanding during these unprecedented times in.

Pay for Your Child's Meals Online

The food service department encourages parents to pre-pay for meals through an online service called myschoolbucks.com.

Families have the ability to make secure online food account payments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To set up an account you need a valid e-mail address, a credit card (Visa or Mastercard only) and your child's PIN number. Each child in your family can be set up on the same account. Money added to the account typically displays in less than 24 hours. You can also set up e-mail reminders to notify you when the account balance gets low. For more information, click here.

Free and Reduced Meal Program

Students may be eligible to receive a free or reduced price lunch based on federal guidelines. Families should receive an information letter about the program and how to apply at the beginning of each school year, or when their child enrolls.

Families may apply for meal benefits online at (www.myschoolapps.com ). Families without access to a computer can request a paper application from their child's school. All students in the family should be listed on one application only. If students received meal benefits last year, a new application must be submitted this year. Completed paper applications should be mailed to:

Food Service Department
Newark City Schools
314 Granville St.
Newark, OH 43055

A notice will be sent home from school with your child(ren) if they are approved for meal benefits or do not qualify. The notice should list the name of each approved student in your household. If you do not receive a notice within 5 days of submitting your application, or if your receive a notice for one child in your household but not all, please contact the food service department.

Please remember, you may apply for meal benefits at any time during the school year. The Ohio Department of Education has announced that students who qualify for a reduced price lunch will be provided a lunch at no cost for the 2023-24 school year.

Is eating a healthy breakfast really important?

A hungry child cannot learn. Our breakfast program offers all children a critical jump start at the beginning of their school day. Children who aren’t hungry feel better and are ready to learn. Studies have found that students who eat breakfast have higher math and reading scores, fewer visits to the nurse and better behavior.

How healthy are school meals?

School lunches provide one-third of the recommended dietary intake for calories, protein and vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. On average a meal contains less than 30 percent of calories from fat and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. In recent years, Newark City Schools has increased the use of whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables.