School Nutrition
Welcome to Northampton Public Schools Nutrition Program
Important Menu Update
Last minute menu changes are occurring frequently and are out of our control due to the nationwide food supply chain issues.
Menus on this website may not reflect these changes.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.
Important Video from the School Nutrition Association
Thank you for taking a moment to view this important video!
What-is-Summer-Eats.docx
Congratulations to MA FRESH Grantees!
The first round of MA Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health (MA FRESH) RFP resulted in fifty-nine grant proposals requesting over 1.6 million dollars! The review process was competitive, and we are excited to have the opportunity to award seventeen proposals from school districts and childcare centers receiving a total of $300,000 in this first round of grant funding. Congratulations to the awarded districts!
School Meal Modification Request
If a meal modification is requested for your child/student, please complete the following form and submit the form to your school nurse. Thank you!
June Harvest of the Month!
Recipes from Massachusetts Farm to School
School Year 2022-2023
Breakfast and Lunch are Free to All Students for School Year 2022-2023!
All Students may have one free breakfast meal and one free lunch meal each school day.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts will extend the Free Meals for All Students for the School Year 2022-2023!
Students at Northampton High School and JFK Middle School may purchase a second meal if there is enough food available. A second breakfast will cost $1.65 and a second lunch will cost $3.35.
Free and Reduced Lunch Status
School Year 2022-2023
A student’s Free and Reduced Lunch Status from the previous year will carry over into School Year 2022-2023 for the first 30 school days of this school year.
It is important that families who do not receive a Direct Certification letter from the School Nutrition / Food Service Office fill out a 2022-2023 Free and Reduced Lunch Application found below.
Please submit your 2022-2023 Free and Reduced Application by October 14, 2022. Previous lunch status will expire on this date.
If you are unable to print an application, you may also pick up an application at your school’s main office. We can also mail you an application if requested by calling our office at 413-587-1487.
We need an original/hard copy of the application sent to our office. We can not accept digital copies that are emailed or faxed copies. Please mail the application or send via your school’s main office. Our office address is:
Northampton Public Schools Food Services Department
JFK Middle School
100 Bridge Road
Florence, MA 01062
School Year 2022 – 2023: Free and Reduced Lunch Applications
School Year 2023-2024 Applications will be available by August 2023. If you are applying for Free or Reduced Lunch for the fall, please wait for the 2023-2024 Application. Thank You.
Adult Meal Prices for School Year 2022-2023
Adult Breakfast:
$2.75 (plus 7% MA Meals Tax) = $2.94
Adult Lunch:
$4.75 (plus 7% MA Meals Tax) = $5.08
Adult Meal Prices for School Year 2023-2024
Adult Breakfast:
$3.00 (plus 7% MA Meals Tax) = $3.21
Adult Lunch:
$5.00 (plus 7% MA Meals Tax) = $5.35
My School Bucks
Create your free MySchoolBucks account to conveniently view your student’s cafeteria purchases, check their balance, and securely pay for a la carte items or school meals from anywhere.
Get Started Today:
- Go to myschoolbucks.com or download the mobile app
- Create your free account and add your students using their school name and birth date.
- View cafeteria purchases and add funds using your credit/debit card or electronic check
School Meals in the Northampton Public Schools
Our meals offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and follow specifications for calories, sodium and fat. All a la carte items meet Massachusetts standards for healthy school snacks.
School meal planning follows the recommendation from leading health and nutrition professionals including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, American Dietetic Association and The Institute of Medicine.
Support for School
School nutrition programs need the support of parents and families to succeed! We encourage parents and caregivers to talk with their students about the food they eat at school. Taking an interest in a student’s eating habits can lead to a lifetime of good choices. And when students have tried new fruits and vegetables at home, they are more likely to pick up those items when they walk through the school lunch line. To get the facts about school meals and share your ideas, visit <a href=”http://www.TrayTalk.org“>www.TrayTalk.org</a>.
Please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns!
Making It Count: School Meals Accountability and Responsibility
Offer vs. Serve Policy for Lunch
A school lunch that is eligible for federal reimbursement must offer 5 food components for each meal served (milk, fruit, vegetables, grains and meat/meat alternatives. Students may decline 2 of the required 5 items offered but must select either a ½ cup fruit or vegetable or a ½ cup combination of fruit/vegetable with their meal. In addition to the fruit or vegetable, the student must select at least 2 additional food components in full amounts offered in order for the meal to count toward the reimbursable offer vs serve meal. The price of the meal will not be determined by the number of components the student chooses. The lunch is priced as a unit whether the student declines 2 items or chooses all 5 items. Field trip bag lunches or special occasion meals in the classroom contain all 5 food components and are exempt from this policy.
Offer vs. Serve for Breakfast
A school breakfast that is eligible for reimbursement shall offer 3 food components (milk, fruit and grains) that consists of a minimum of 4 items. Students may decline 1 food item, but must select at least ½ cup of fruit or fruit combination. After choosing the ½ cup of fruit, students must select the other food components in the full amounts to count toward the reimbursable offer vs. serve meal. The price of the meal will not be determined by the number of components the student chooses. The breakfast is priced as a unit whether the student accepts all 4 items or declines.
Local Farm’s Produce Served in the Northampton Public Schools
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Non Discrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil
rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of
race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age,
or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with
disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g.,
Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or
local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice
and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027,
USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online
at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-
0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by
writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address,
telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient
detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an
alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA
by:
- mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or - email:
program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.