Dear Parents and Guardians,
Starting this September, every student can enjoy a complete, nutritious meal every day without charge. We have joined the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) which allows us to participate in the NYS Universal School Meal program, which brings enhanced nutrition standards and financial savings to our families.
Complete Meals at No Cost: School cafeterias are required to provide one reimbursable complete meal at no cost to all students, regardless of their previous free, reduced, or paid status. 
Understanding the New Meal Requirements
To provide these free meals and receive proper reimbursement that keeps the program sustainable, all complete meals must be prepared according to NSLP school meal pattern requirements. Critically important: The District will be reimbursed only if students take a complete meal - this reimbursement is what allows us to continue offering free meals to all students. Here's how it works:
Daily Meal Components - Schools Must Offer All 5:

• Vegetables
• Grains
• Meat/Meat Alternatives
• Fluid Milk
• Fruit

Student Requirements for Free Meals: To be a “complete meal” students must take at least 3 of the 5 components, and one of those must be either a fruit or vegetable for the meal to qualify as free and reimbursable. This "Offer vs. Serve" approach gives students some choice while ensuring they receive balanced nutrition. Menus for September can be found on our website at: https://www.swrschools.org/school-lunch-program. 
Per NSLP, if a student chooses not to take the minimum required components, the meal will be charged to the student at à la carte prices, as our school will not receive reimbursement for that meal. Our caring cafeteria staff will be actively encouraging students to take complete meals to ensure they benefit from this free program.
Application Recommendation for Year One
For our first year in this program, we strongly encourage all households that feel they may be eligible for Free or Reduced meal benefits to complete an application. This is crucial because it helps our district establish a baseline year to ensure we maximize our reimbursement levels, which directly supports the sustainability and quality of the program for all students.
Additional Food Options Beyond Free Meals
Second Meals and À La Carte Items: Students can still purchase additional items beyond their free complete meal, including second meals, snacks, and beverages. However, all offerings must now meet Smart Snacks guidelines, which means we'll be modifying some items we've served in past years to meet enhanced nutritional standards.
Smart Snacks Standards - Enhanced Nutrition
All food sold in our schools must now meet strict Smart Snacks requirements:
Food Requirements - Any food sold must:

• Be a "whole grain-rich" grain product; OR
• Have a fruit, vegetable, dairy product, or protein food as the first ingredient; OR
• Be a combination food containing at least ¼ cup of fruit and/or vegetable

Nutrition Standards: All items must meet strict requirements for calories, sodium, fat, and sugar content.
Beverage Standards by School Level:

• All Schools: Plain water (with or without carbonation) available
• Elementary Schools: Only milk or 8oz portions or less of 100% fruit/vegetable juice
• Middle Schools: Up to 12oz portions of milk and 100% fruit/vegetable juice (with or without carbonation)
• High Schools: 20oz portions or less of calorie-free flavored water and other calorie-free or low-calorie beverages meeting nutrient standards

Fundraising Flexibility: Food items meeting nutrition requirements can be sold at fundraisers during the school day without limitations. NSLP food standards don't apply during non-school hours, weekends, or off-campus fundraising events.
Payment Methods: If you'd like your student to purchase anything beyond the free complete meal, you can continue to send cash or checks, or add money to student accounts using My School Bucks, just as in previous years.
No Charging Policy: While all students will receive a free complete meal with all 5 components, school cafeterias are not required to allow student balances to go negative for non-program foods like snacks, chips, or beverages.
Miller Avenue Pre-Order Program
Miller Avenue will continue operating as a pre-order program. We strongly encourage parents to order lunches for their children to help avoid excess food waste, though meals will always be available for any student needing one.
We're Growing Our Team!
We are actively seeking dedicated food service personnel to join our expanding team. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming part of our school nutrition program and making a direct impact on students' daily lives, please contact Jo-Ann Seberg at 631-821-8104 for more information about these rewarding positions. 
As we embark on joining the National School Lunch Program and dramatically increasing the number of meals we serve daily, I want to ask for your patience and understanding as we begin the school year. This represents a massive undertaking - transitioning to serving significantly more meals while meeting strict federal guidelines is a complex project that our dedicated team has worked tirelessly on. Your patience and support during this transition period is much appreciated.
Please don't hesitate to contact Sara Paolino, Food Service Director, at 631-821-8235, if you need clarification about any aspect of the new program, have concerns about your student's dietary needs, or want more information about the application process.

Sincerely,
Gerard W. Poole
Superintendent of Schools