Township High School District 214 Food and Nutrition Service Department

Meal Program Information and FAQ 2024-2025

• Please be aware that the Fee Waiver process has changed for the 2024-25 SY. It is a separate form and process from the Meal Benefits Application for the 2024-25 SY. Fee waivers need to be delivered and/or mailed to Township High School District 214, Attn: Fee Waiver, 2121 S. Goebbert Rd. Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Questions concerning fee waivers can be addressed to fee.waiver@d214.org. More info can be found at https://www.d214.org/Page/2204
• In the 2024-25 SY we will continue to participate in the USDA Special Milk program and provide 1 combo meal deal breakfast and/or 1 combo meal deal lunch daily, at no charge, to free eligible students and at a reduced rate to reduced eligible students.
• We will carry over 2023-24 school year’s (last years’) District 214 student eligibility status until expiration on September 13, 2024.
• If your student is a freshman, or new to District 214, please complete a household meal benefits application online.  A new Special Milk/Meals Program benefits application must be submitted annually.
• A District 214 blast email message to all registered households will be sent out the first week of August, 2024, with instructions on how to apply for meals and access the Special Milk/ Meals Program benefits application online through the IC Parent Portal. USDA regulations prohibit distributing meal applications more than 30 days prior to the start of the school year.
• We will continue to receive Direct Certification files from the DHS. Each student receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and/or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) from the DHS will be mailed a letter of eligibility for free meals at the end of July from District 214. If you receive one of these letters, you do not need to fill out a Special Milk/Meals program benefits application as well. If you did not receive one of these letters from District 214, please fill out a meal program application online.
• We will be processing all Meal Program Benefits Applications through the Infinite Campus (IC) Parent Portal (FRAM).  Please apply for meal benefits online through the Parent Portal. (Applications E-signed by students will not be accepted).
• Special Milk/Meal Program benefits applications https://www.d214.org/Page/3564, and our Menu https://www.d214.org/Page/3578 will be posted on the Food Service page of the District website in August. Please apply for meal benefits online through the Parent portal.
• Meals are served every school day.  For the 2024.25 school year, breakfast is available at all schools for $2.50 and lunch is $4.00. Reduced breakfast is $1.50 and reduced lunch is $2.50. Milk (½ pint) is included with the meal, but may also be purchased separately for $.60. A variety of healthy and student favorite a la carte options are available for purchase.
• Please check out our Menus at https://www.d214.org/Page/3578 . Click on your school’s name next to the Mealviewer bar to view your dailiy menu and specials with nutritional and allergen info.
• The Payrange mobile vending machine app has been implemented successfully at all D214 schools. Students are able to access vending machines without using cash by downloading the Payrange app on their phones. Payrange accepts all major credit and debit cards as well as funds from apple pay and Android Pay! Follow these steps to add money to your Payrange app: 1) Download the app to your smart phone or tablet, 2) Create an account, 3) At the bottom of the screen, click the button "Add funds." Follow the steps to add funds to the account. You're all set! It’s that easy!
• The Food and Nutrition Services Department has a computerized debit system that allows parents and students to prepay for school food services. This computerization provides many benefits for students and parents in utilizing the cafeteria services. Our online payment service, MySchoolBucks.com provides a quick and easy way to add money to your student’s meal account using a credit/debit card or electronic check. The MySchoolBucks App makes school meal payments even easier for busy parents on–the-go! You can also view recent purchases, check balances, and set-up low balance alerts for FREE online or through the App! Please review the following information on our website at https://www.d214.org/Page/3561 to assist you in answering questions should they arise.

       If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Food and Nutrition Services at  (847) 718-7638 or (847) 718-7639.

The Food and Nutrition Services Department of Township High School District 214 is an independently operated, non-profit $4 million-dollar-a-year program. More than 85 part-time Nutrition Services professionals take pride in preparing breakfast and lunch for more than 12,000 students and staff members daily. We believe that adequate nutrition contributes positively to students' learning ability, behavior, and general well-being. Therefore, we are very committed to providing this service to the students in the district. We prepare food on-site in all of our buildings. 

Our Mission Statement

To provide safe, nutritious, and appetizing meals and snacks at a fair price to promote and encourage the development of sound nutrition habits that will foster academic success. 

Our Goals

1. Provide quality meals in a positive atmosphere that encourages students to participate. 
2. Offer the variety of menu items and snacks that our students have come to expect.
3. Serve meals that incorporate a variety of foods that are appealing to students.

Nutrition Integrity

• Student meals contain adequate calories and a variety of foods to support growth, development, and a healthy weight.
• Purchasing practices ensure the use of high quality ingredients to maximize student acceptance.

Safe Food Handling Practices

Our food services department is committed to providing safe, wholesome food to our customers. All of our central office staff, cafeteria managers, and General School Nutrition III employees who cook or prepare foods are required to have a current sanitation certificate through the state of Illinois Department of Public Health as a condition of employment. Many of our general employees, while not required, have also opted to receive this important training and have successfully completed the course of study and have taken the required refresher courses to keep their licenses current. All Nutrition employees complete safe food handling training annually. We firmly believe this education to be of paramount importance in our operations.

All of our cafeterias are inspected a minimum of twice each school year by the health departments of the municipalities in which the schools are located. We are proud to say that our cafeterias continue to receive scores in the high 90's with some having 100% scores.

Due to supply chain disruptions, items listed on the menu may not be available to serve.