Food Services

Children may qualify to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost or at a reduced price (based on Federal income eligibility guidelines).  Families are encouraged to complete an application even if they are not sure if they qualify.  We also encourage families to apply at any time during the school year if the household experiences a change in financial circumstances because their child may become eligible for free/reduced price meals. Eligibility is confidential, and students who utilize the benefits are not identifiable in the breakfast or lunch lines. 

Letter to Household (English | Spanish)
Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals  (English | Spanish)
Consent to Share Program Eligibility Information  (English | Spanish)

Avoid Unnecessary Meal Fees

Applications from the prior year are only valid for the first 30 school days. If a new application is not received by October 15, 2024, students will be charged at the full price for lunch and breakfast until a new application is approved. You are responsible for charges made.

Turn in Your Application as Early as Possible

Application processing time frame: Applications will be reviewed and an eligibility determination made within 10 working days of the receipt of the application. Meals provided prior to the approval of the application will be charged at full price, you are responsible for charges made.

Students K-3rd Grade

Lunches served to children who qualify for reduced priced meals in Kindergarten through 3rd grade will be made available at no cost. All other students 4th – 12th will be charged at their approved rate.

Reimbursable Meals

Students must take all of the required components of a meal for it to be considered reimbursable and qualify under the Free & Reduced Meal Program. If any of the required components are declined, the meal is considered non reimbursable and will be charged accordingly.

Milk

If a student qualifies for Free/Reduced meals and only chooses milk, the milk is not considered reimbursable and will be charged at the current rate of 50 cents per milk. Students may purchase additional milk as long as they have money on their account. Milk is charged at the current rate of 50 cents per milk. 

We are pleased to announce that Lackamas Elementary and Southworth Elementary school meal programs will be supplemented by Meals for Washington Students funds.  Meals for Washington Students funds are available to select WA schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

What does this mean for my student(s) who attend Lackamas or Southworth?

In schools supplemented by Meals for Washington Students funds, all students receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch at no cost, regardless of family income.

Why is Yelm Community Schools requesting financial information?

The information you provide by returning the free and reduced-price meal application impacts the funding that each school receives from the federal and state government.  The Meal Application is used to capture information and ensure the Yelm Community Schools receives all the funding it is entitled to for federal meal programs and state educational programs.

How will this information be protected? 

In keeping with current practices, all free and reduced-priced meal applications will be kept confidential unless you complete a Consent to Share for your student.  If a Consent to Share is completed, your student’s qualification status will be shared only to the programs you specify.  With implementation of HB 1660, removing barriers to students

What do I need to do? 

Please complete a Meal Application and return it to your school or the Food Service Office.  Your assistance in helping us maintain our current funding levels is appreciated.

If you have any questions, please contact Food Service at 360.400.1151.

Parents or guardians are responsible for depositing money into their child’s account before meals are served.  In addition to paying with cash and checks, parents can also pay online  with their credit/debit cards. 

When a student repeatedly comes to school without a meal from home or money to purchase a meal, counselors will be contacted to ensure proper resources and services are made available to the student.  Frequent requests may indicate the family’s need for free or reduced-priced meals.  If parents or guardians decline to complete an application on behalf of the student, the principal may complete an application on behalf of the student.

If a student does not have sufficient funds to pay for a school meal, it is the policy of YELM COMMUNITY SCHOOLS to allow the student to purchase a meal and run the lunch account into a negative balance.  À la carte items (such as milk) may not be charged.  Monies received from students with negative account balances must first be used to satisfy the negative balance.  No change will be given back to students with a negative account balance and any extra monies will be deposited the student’s account.  Parents/guardians are responsible for negative balances on a student's account.  Contact Food Services for more information on setting limits on accounts.

Negative lunch account balance?  Please pay the negative balance and add any extra to the account to avoid negative balance messages.

Adding money to a lunch account

Cash or check: Pay through your school office.  

Credit card: Contact the Food Service Office at 360.400.1151 or

Pay online through our payment portal

1. Select your student.

2. Shop: Items at student's school

3. Category: Food Service

4. Select a preset amount of or a custom amount.

Meal Accounts Refunds & Transfers

You can have us mail you a check, donate the remainder to the Compassion Fund to help pay for meals for students in need or transfer amounts between your student's accounts?. Check Skyward Family Access or call the Food Service Office to check your balance.  NOTE: Refund requests may take up to four weeks to process due to board approval.

Meal Balance Refund Request

Food Handler's Card Information

Moving out of district and there's a balance on your student's lunch account? You can have us mail you a check, or you can donate the remainder to the Compassion Fund to help pay for meals for students in need. Want to transfer amounts between your student's accounts? No problem! 

Be sure your account has a balance - check Skyward Family Access or call your student's school office to check your balance. Use the form below to refund, transfer, or donate money on your student's meal account:

Request a Refund

 Wellness Policy

 Assessment of the Wellness Policy

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a federal meal service option for schools and districts that meet specific income levels.  If a school or district meets the qualifications, then free breakfast and lunch are provided to all students in that specific school.

Is my school eligible?

To be eligible for CEP, a district, group of schools or a specific school must ensure that at least 40% of enrolled students are directly certified by the state for free school meals. For the 2024-2025 school year, Yelm Extension School, Fort Stevens, Lackamas, McKenna, Mill Pond, Prairie and Southworth Elementary are qualifying schools, and all students will receive free school meals.

What if my children attend different schools?

Families with children in all other Yelm Community Schools will continue to apply for Free Meals through the federal application process or through direct certification from the state.

It is important that all families review the qualifying income levels and complete the application forms on our website if they meet the criteria. 

Families who qualified in the 2023-2024 school year will receive free meals until October 15, 2024.  The application must be approved by that date for free meals to continue.

Please turn Application and Consent to Share form.  If you need assistance, please contact the Food Service Department at 360.400.1151.  

How do schools qualify for CEP in the future?

Schools that currently qualify are approved for four years.

For schools which do not yet qualify, the district will continue to monitor direct certification, McKinney-Vento, Foster Child, and Migrant status and apply by April 1 of each year if 40% enrollment is verified. 

The district will notify all families each spring which schools qualify for CEP and will receive free meals for that school year.