Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is set to begin its standard school meals program on Monday, Aug. 31, which is the first day of school for students. CCPS students are starting the school year in an online format, meaning meal service will continue as curbside distribution.
The school meals program provides a meal bag to any student enrolled in CCPS. Meals are not available for any child who is not an enrolled CCPS student. A meal bag includes a cold breakfast and lunch. Distribution is limited to one meal bag per child per day.
Starting Aug. 31, students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals can receive a meal bag at no cost. Students who do not qualify for meal benefits will be charged for meal bags picked up at a distribution site. Cost for a meal bag is $4.10 ($2.75 for the lunch items and $1.35 for breakfast – these prices reflect the current elementary school prices for paid students). Additionally, students who attend schools that offer free breakfast to all students during the school year through the Maryland Meals for Achievement (MMFA) program will have to pay for breakfast if they do not qualify for free or reduced price meals.
Parents will need to provide their child’s CCPS-issued student identification number in order to pick up a meal bag. This number is on a student’s report card and in the ParentVue app. In the app, login and click on the student’s name and picture, then choose “ID Card” in the upper-right hand corner. Meal site staff can scan the student barcode in ParentVue or a child’s school-issued student ID to limit contact. To pick up a meal bag, parents must have their child’s student ID number to connect with the CCPS cafeteria system.
Families can apply now for free and reduced price meal benefits. An application is posted on the CCPS website at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application. CCPS will mail paper applications to households of students who have qualified for meal program benefits in prior school years.
Meal payments can be made by check or money order at distribution sites, or using the online meal payment system MyPaymentsPlus. Staff at meal sites are not able to accept cash payments. MyPaymentsPlus is available online at https://www.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome. Parents can add funds to their child’s account online without fees.
Starting Aug. 31, parents of children enrolled in CCPS can pick up a meal bag at one of 17 available distribution sites from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Distribution sites include:
- Henry E. Lackey High School;
- La Plata High School;
- Maurice J. McDonough High School;
- North Point High School;
- St. Charles High School;
- Thomas Stone High School;
- Westlake High School;
- Mattawoman Middle School;
- Milton M. Somers Middle School;
- Piccowaxen Middle School;
- Billingsley Elementary School;
- Indian Head Elementary School;
- Malcolm Elementary School;
- Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School;
- Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School;
- J.C. Parks Elementary School; and
- J.P. Ryon Elementary School.
Seven sites will host an evening pick-up window from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. They are Lackey, La Plata, North Point, St. Charles, Thomas Stone and Westlake high schools, and Piccowaxen Middle School.
Nutritional information for meal bags will be posted on the school system website, www.ccboe.com. Parents of children with food allergies or modified diets should check their child’s meal bag items before serving.
When schools closed unexpectedly in March, CCPS provided meals to all children under the age of 18 at no cost to families. CCPS was reimbursed for these meals by funding available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Food Service Program. CCPS also secured several waivers to USDA guidelines to continue to serve children more than one meal at a time through no contact, curbside service. USDA discontinued extra funding for CCPS at the end of the 2019-20 school year in June.
The Summer Food Service Program ends this Thursday, Aug. 13. Lifestyles, a longtime CCPS partner, is providing meals to children at 10 Charles County sites from Aug. 17 to Aug. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A list of locations is available on the CCPS Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CharlesCountyPublicSchools.
