Meal Prices & Pre-Payment Options
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved waivers for local school divisions and other federal meal program sponsors to implement the Summer Food Service Program to provide meals to children in the community free of charge through June 30, 2022. Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) will continue to serve meals at no charge to all ACPS students this school year. Smart Snack compliant à la carte items, such as an extra entrée, drinks, juice, ice cream, etc. will be available for purchase.
Pre-Payment Options
Please take advantage of the options to prepay your student's meal accounts. Prepaid meal accounts help the serving lines go faster and give students more time to eat, relax, and play. It also gives you the peace of mind of not having to worry about the child's money every day or worry that it might get lost, stolen, or used for other things.
Online Payments
ACPS offers parents the opportunity to create and add money to their student’s meal account via SchoolCafé for any additional purchases using Visa, Mastercard, or a debit card. A small per-transaction convenience fee of $1.75 will be charged for each payment. You can also monitor your student’s meal account, set up reminders. School Cafe is the preferred method for paying for meals.
This online service allows parents of students to do the following:
If at any time you leave the district or would like to request a refund on your account, you may do so by going to the SNS web page and selecting the “refund” tab under the meals and prepayment tab or directly through School Café.
Set up and manage your student's SchoolCafé account
Send Check or Cash
You can always bring money personally or send it with your student. Please place it in an envelope marked clearly with your student's name, their ID number, their teacher's name, the dollar amount, and the check number. Turn in prepaid deposits to the cafeteria cashier(s) or school office.
If you choose to bring money to school personally or send it with your student, please put it in an envelope clearly marked with the student's first and last name, their ID number, their teacher's name, and the amount enclosed.
- Prepay money directly into their child’s account
- Monitor their child’s food purchases
- Set purchase restrictions
- Set up low-balance email reminders
- Schedule recurring payments
- Have 24/7 Access to accounts & balances
- Submit a free-reduced meal application
- The maximum amount parents can deposit per student is $100 per transaction
- Transfer funds/Request refund
Non-Discrimination Statement: In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.