• FAQ's
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS / ANNOUNCEMENTS    
     
    How do I pay for meals?               
    Parents have three options to pay for their students' meals:
    1. ONLINE-Establish debit account through www.myschoolbucks.com 
      The service is easy to use, convenient, private, and secure. To access their account, students enter their student ID number on a key pad. You’ll need your child’s student ID to register. Once the account is open, parents may check the funds at any time. A separate convenience fee of $2.75 is charged for each family member's transaction. Credit card payments take about 24 hours to show on the account, while e-checks may take several days. Students can use their account to purchase breakfast, lunch and a la carte items.

    2. CHECK
      Write a check made payable to WCSD School Lunch Fund. Include the student's ID number and name on the check. If the payment is for more than one student in the same school only, indicate how the money should be split on the check (for example, Johnny=$10.00 and Sally=$15.00). Students can give it to the cashier at meal service for instant updating of the account.

    3. CASH
      Cash may be brought to the cashier at meal service for deposit to the student’s account, or students may pay cash on a daily basis. We highly recommend account and check deposits instead of cash.

    I just realized that my child’s account is depleted and they are going to school without lunch money. What can I do?
    We have a charge policy in grades K-8 which allows students to charge a limited amount of meals. However, a la carte items cannot be charged and there is no charging in grades 9-12. However, you can call our office at 845-298-5075 before the student’s lunch and we can override any of these limitations.


    How can I check my student’s meal account balance and purchases?
    Whether you deposit money by credit card or make prepayments by check or cash at school, parents can view their child(ren)'s balances and 90 days of meal purchase history on myschoolbucks.com with prior registration. There is no fee for viewing balances and meals purchased with cash or a check.

     
    How would I know when my child's lunch account is running low?
    Myschoolbucks.com has a handy low balance alert feature which alerts you by email when a set threshold you establish is exceeded.  Also, cashiers have been instructed to notify students verbally and or by note when their lunch account has a three-day balance.  Notes will be given to the student each day and hopefully will be carried home.  A detailed printout of student purchases is available upon request.
     
    How do I request a transfer of funds between my students' accounts? Meal account transfers can be requested by e-mailing the following information to foodservice@wcsdny.org

    Transfer FROM:

    Transfer TO:

    1.  Student Name
    2.  Student ID #
    3.  School Name

    1.  Student Name
    2.  Student ID #
    3.  School Name

    How do I request a refund for my student's meal account?

    Meal account refunds can be requested by e-mailing the following information to foodservice@wcsdny.org

    • Student Name
    • Student ID # (listed on the student's schedule)
    • School Name
    • Parent Name
    • Street Address
    • City, State and Zip code
    • Phone #

    Can parents limit their child’s a la carte purchases?
    YES. To assist parents who do not want their children to purchase a la carte items, we are able to limit account purchases to include meals only.  To request a “meals only” block, please request in writing through a letter or by email foodservice@wcsdny.org.  Include your child’s ID number and school. It will take about a day of receipt to take effect.  A la carte items are offered as a supplement to meals purchased at school or brought from home. In elementary schools, students are limited to only two a la carte items provided they have a lunch from home or a school lunch. A la carte items meet the district wellness policy standards of <=35% calories from Fat <= 10% saturated fat =<35% sugar by weight.
     
    What constitutes a School Lunch?
    Students must be offered five meal components: Meat/Meat Alternate, Grain, Fruit, Vegetable and Milk. In order to be considered a complete meal, one of the components must be a fruit and/or a vegetable. 

    What is the Offer vs. Serve Policy?
    Helps reduce waste because students are allowed to decline two of the five required food components. To take advantage of the low meal price, students must take a minimum of one half-cup of either the Fruit or Vegetable component plus two additional items from the meal components listed above. Our staff encourages students to select foods from all five meal components. However, if they do not select either a fruit or vegetable or less than three meal components, then we must charge an a la carte price for that meal.