Food Service Question and Answer 2024-2025
The Nutrition Group receives many questions from students, parents, and guardians about the
food service program at Pennsbury School District. We hope this Q & A helps to answer some of
your questions. As always, please continue sending your questions or comments to: Ashley
Dowd, Director of Food and Nutrition, at adowd2@pennsburysd.org. To reach our food service
office please call: (215) 428-4100 ext. 22201
Q: How do I apply for free meals?
A: Please go to www.schoolcafe.com/pennsbury and create an account. If you have an existing
account, please log in and fill in your credential. Follow the instructions to fill out a free meal
application. This application will need to be completed each school year.
Q: How do I add money onto my School Café account?
A: Students can bring cash or a personal check directly to our cafeteria staff. You can also add
money to your students account by logging into your SchoolCafe account at
www.schoolcafe.com/pennsbury and using the credit card feature. There is a small fee for this
service that is charged by SchoolCafe.
Q: How will I be notified if my student has an outstanding balance on their School Café
account?
A: Balances can be viewed online on the School Café website. In addition, balance reminders
will be sent out monthly via email or mailed to the address you have on file with the district.
Q: Who do I make a cafeteria check payment to?
A: Personal checks should be made payable to: “Pennsbury Dining Services.” Please include
your students’ name and ID number in the comment section.
Q: Is my student permitted to hand deliver a check for their cafeteria account?
A: Yes. Students can bring a personal check to the cafeteria cashier during breakfast or lunch
service. Be sure to label the envelope and include your student’s name and ID number on the
check.
Q: How can I view breakfast and lunch menus?
A: Menus can be found on the district website under food services or at
Pennsbury.nutrislice.com . Also, you can find them on the Nutrislice app, which can be found in
the app store/play store on your mobile device.
Q: How do I add a restriction to my student’s cafeteria account?
A: You can add restrictions to your student’s account. Log into their SchoolCafe account at
www.schoolcafe.com/pennsbury. You can adjust the restrictions as needed. For
example: You can restrict your student from charging snacks on their account but
can allow them to use cash instead. If you have a specific restriction, please reach out to the
food service department.
Q: How can I assure my student does not consume a food product they are allergic to?
A: Allergies and dietary restrictions are to be sent to the school nurse at the beginning of the
school year. The school nurse sends that information to The Nutrition Group. It is then noted in
the student’s lunch account on SchoolCafe. When the student enters their account number to
buy a meal, our point-of-sale system alerts us of any allergies. We then check the student’s
meal tray to be sure they do not have the allergen or specific restricted food on their tray. You
can also access our online menus; they provide allergy information too.
Q: My student has food restrictions that were given by a medical doctor. Can you provide a
meal specifically for my child’s needs?
A: Yes. A medical professional is required to complete a medical plan of care for school food
service. Once the medical form is complete, we will work with our dietitian to develop your
students’ specific needs. The medical form is found under the food service department tab on
the Pennsbury School District website.
Q: What are the snack guidelines for the district?
A: The district participates in the NSLP, National School Lunch Program, and follows the
guidelines set for “Smart Snacks.” Below are links to the Smart Snack guidelines and nutritional
values.
https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/smartsnacks.pdf
https://www.pennsburysd.org/Page/377
A list of snack items that we offer can be found on the Pennsbury website under the food
services tab click ‘Nutritional Facts for Snacks’. In addition, snack prices are listed on the right
side of our lunch menus.
Q: What are the 2024-25 meal prices?
A: All Pennsbury students are eligible to receive a FREE breakfast for the entire 24-25 school
year.
Lunch Prices:
Elementary Lunch $2.65
Middle School Lunch $2.85
High School Lunch $3.25
Q: Can I transfer money from one of my child’s School Cafe accounts to another?
A: Yes. Please send your request to: psdcafe@pennsburysd.org. Be sure to include both the
student’s full name, lunch account numbers, and specific amount of money you
would like to transfer to and from. Please note, you cannot transfer funds
through the SchoolCafé app.
Q: How can I apply to work for The Nutrition Group?
A: The Nutrition Group is hiring: Clink the link and search “Pennsbury” for current
opportunities. Please visit our website, at www.tngcareers.com . Click ‘Hourly Career Portal’ at
bottom of page then search ‘Pennsbury.
