Free Meals for All Students

Every student Attending Northampton Public Schools may have one Free Breakfast and one Free Lunch each day at school.

NHS and JFK Only

For any meals after the first free meal:

Breakfast: $1.85

Lunch: $3.55

Adult Breakfast: $3.25 (plus 7% MA Meals Tax) = $3.48

Adult Lunch: $5.25 (plus 7% MA Meals Tax) = $5.62

Elementary Schools Only

Effective for the 2026–2027 school year, the Northampton Public Schools Nutrition Department will implement a no-change initiave at all elementary school Point of Sale (POS) registers to improve efficiency and security.

Adult Payment Procedures

Meal Account Requirement
Adults and visitors who wish to pay with cash must have a personal meal account or exact change to purchase a meal. Cafeteria staff will no longer provide change at the register.

Account Setup
To create a meal account, please contact the School Nutrition Department Administrative Assistant: Debbie Zuchowski  
dzuchowski@northampton-k12.us

Cash Payments
If a cash payment exceeds the cost of the meal, the remaining balance will automatically be credited to the individual’s meal account for future purchases.

No Charging of Meals
Adults may not charge meals for later payment. Please ensure you have sufficient funds available if you plan to purchase food through the School Meal Program.

For Your Information: Why we can not provide free meals to teachers and non-cafeteria staff

Public school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) cannot provide free meals or free food to adults because federal law prohibits using program funds to subsidize non-student meals. The program is specifically designed and funded to provide nutrition for children in grades pre-kindergarten through grade 12. 

Regulatory and Financial Restrictions

• No Federal Reimbursement: Schools receive federal cash assistance only for meals served to eligible students. No federal reimbursement is provided for meals served to adults, including teachers or staff.
• Cost Neutrality Requirements: USDA regulations require that adult meals be priced high enough to cover the entire cost of the meal, including food, labor, and overhead, plus the value of USDA Foods (commodities). 
• Protection of Student Funds: Using the nonprofit school food service account to subsidize adult meals is considered a "misuse of federal funds" because it diverts resources intended for student nutrition

Financial & Operational Penalties

• Loss of Reimbursement: Federal reimbursement is strictly limited to meals served to eligible children. Districts cannot claim any part of an adult meal for reimbursement.
• Mandatory Repayment: If a district provides free meals to adults, it must reimburse the Non-profit School Food Service Account (NSFSA) from non-federal sources (e.g., general funds) for the full cost of those meals.
• Monetary Fines: Under USDA oversight, repeated or severe mismanagement, including knowingly disregarding program requirements, can result in tiered fines:
  • First fine: 1% of the district's total lunch reimbursement.
  • Second fine: Up to 5% of total reimbursement.
  • Final fine: Up to 10% of total reimbursement.
• Program Disqualification: Continued failure to correct violations or pay levied fines can lead to termination or disqualification from participating in child nutrition programs. 
• Note: Districts may provide free meals only to adults directly involved in program operation (e.g., cafeteria workers) if their meals are considered an operating cost of the program, but this does not extend to teachers or general staff.

Create your My School Bucks account to conveniently view your student’s cafeteria purchases, check their balance, and securely pay for a la carte items.

My School Bucks charges a fee to put money or your student's account. 

To avoid the fees, your student may bring cash or a check to the cashier at the register to make a deposit.

You may also mail in checks payable to: The City of Northampton

Address:

Freshampton: School Nutrition Department

100 Bridge Road

Florence, MA 01062

Link to My School Bucks

Northampton High School Students may use their meal account to purchase items in our vending machines with cash or using their student number.

A la carte items are available at the register for JFK Middle School Students.