Food Service, Nutrition & Wellness

Skokie School District 73.5 participates in the National School Lunch program and your child may qualify for Free or Reduced price meals. A paper copy of the Household Eligibility Application can be printed in English or Spanish or may be obtained from your child’s school office or the district office. Submit completed applications to the Skokie School District 73.5 Business Office located at 8000 East Prairie Road, Skokie IL in the back of Oliver McCracken Middle School.

A new application must be submitted prior to each school year. If your child was approved for free or reduced lunch last year, you MUST REAPPLY or charges will be due for meals during the current school year.

If you have questions regarding the program, please review the frequently asked questions in the letter that accompanies the Household Eligibility Application. If you have additional questions, please contact the Business Office at 847.676.8317.

Your student(s) may qualify for free or reduced price meals if your household income falls below the limits on this chart.

For the 2020-2021 school year lunch costs $3.09. The reduced price is $.40 for lunch. Students may purchase à la carte items such as crackers, fruit, and milk. Beginning in 5th grade students may also purchase extra meals. À la carte items and extra meals are not free or reduced. The 2020-2021 School Lunch Pricing Information sheet provides more detailed information.

Skokie School District 73.5 and Organic Life both place a high priority on the nutrition of its students. If your child has specific nutritional needs, please contact the nurse at your child’s school. 

In order to qualify as a meal under the National School Lunch program, a lunch must contain three of the five required components recommended by the USDA, and at least one of the three components taken must be a fruit and/or vegetable. The following are the five components of school lunch: 1. Fruit, 2. Vegetable, 3. Grain, 4. Meat/Meat Alternate, 5. Fluid Milk.

If your child has specific needs related to allergies, please contact the nurse at your child’s school.

ONLINE PAYMENTS

As a service to the families of Skokie School District 73.5 has partnered with My MealTime to offer a convenient solution to paying for student meals. The District accepts deposits for your child’s food service account through MealTime. Visit My MealTime Online to create a profile, make deposits, view account balances, set up low balance notifications, and view your child’s transaction details. Instructions to create a My Mealtime account are available in English and Spanish. 

PAYMENT BY CASH OR CHECK

Parents and guardians can personally bring payment or send it with their child to school. Please make sure the payment is sent in a sealed envelope clearly marked with the child’s name, the homeroom teacher’s name, and Lunch Money. Checks can be made out to Skokie School District 73.5. Students can hand payments directly to cashiers in the lunch line as well. 

Why am I receiving emails about my student’s account balance?

When a student’s balance approaches $0, a low balance notice is emailed to the parent. These emails are a convenience built into the MealTime system to help parents. Often a parent will not know how much money is still available on their student’s account, these emails are meant to help parents know when their student’s lunch accounts are low. These emails are not invoices, they are emails for your reference. 

Where can I find information about what my student is purchasing?

Balance inquires and information about purchases can be accessed anytime through My MealTime. Instructions to create a MyMealtime account are available in English and Spanish. Once you have logged into your account and added your student(s) you can select View Reports and choose the Cafeteria Account Statement Report. You will be able to select your student and the date range you would like to view. Then you will click Generate Report. The link to view the report will appear below the reports section. 

If you have problems using My MealTime or would like to speak with someone about your student’s account, you can contact the Skokie School District 73.5 Business Office by calling 847.676.8317.

What happens to the remaining funds at the end of the school year?

Any funds remaining a the end of the school year are rolled over into the student’s meal account for the upcoming year. For 8th grade students or students that are not returning to the district, parents/guardians may request that any leftover funds be transferred to a sibling or a refund.

Please note: No refunds will be given for amounts less than $5. The deadline to request a refund is June 30th for the prior school year only. Older account balances will not be refunded. 

Requests for transfers or reimbursements can be sent to the Business Office at [email protected].
 

• Illinois State Board of Education: Nutrition
• USDA: National School Lunch Program
• USDA: Food and Nutrition Service
• USDA: ChooseMyPlate
• KidsHealth: Nutrition & Fitness Center
• OrganicLife (Service Provider)
• USDA Recipes for Healthy Kids: Cookbook for Homes