Student Meal Information

For the most up-to-date student meal information, see http://dcps.dc.gov/food or email food.dcps@dc.gov.

Breakfast, fresh-fruit-and-vegetable snack, after-school snack, and supper are universally free for DCPS students. DCPS students who are classified as free or reduced, or who attend a Provision 2 or Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school, will receive a lunch at no charge to the student.

Students who are classified as paid or who have not filled out a Free And Reduced Meal (FARM) application and attend a Non-Provision/CEP school must pay for lunch.

Student Meal Payment

Students’ meal accounts function as debit accounts. When a student goes through the lunch line to receive a meal, the student gives the cafeteria manager his/her name or number. The cost of the meal is then deducted from the student’s meal account. If there are insufficient funds in the student’s meal account, the student still receives a meal and the student’s meal account will show a negative balance with the associated cost.
Students can pay for meals in two ways:
  1. By paying with a credit or debit card at myschoolbucks.com, an online prepayment service. You’ll be able to set up SMART PAY to automatically add money to an account whenever it reaches a low balance, and receive low balance notifications to remind you when funds are low.
  2. By sending a check or money order made payable to the DC Treasurer to the following address (include the student’s DC One Card ID#):
DCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services
1200 First Street, NE, 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20002