HCS Child Nutrition Department
2020-2021 School Year Updates
Welcome!!!
The Child Nutrition Department wishes to provide families and students with some important information regarding the breakfast and lunch programs at your child’s school, and hope that your child enjoys their experience as our customers this year!
As district information is updated during these unprecedented times in education, the Child Nutrition Department will also keep you informed of any changes to our meal service that may become necessary. Updates will be posted to the HCS website - www.hck12.net. Please know that we are working diligently alongside all district staff to ensure our students are safely cared for, nourished, and educated each and every day.
What's the Difference? Emergency/Summer Feeding vs. School Year Meal Service
When schools were closed in the spring due to COVID-19 and during the month of June, the Hawkins County Schools Child Nutrition Department, along with the assistance of many wonderful school volunteers, were able to provide breakfast and lunch meals to any child age 0-18 at no charge through the USDA Seamless Summer Option (SSO) feeding program.
Schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NLSP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) are eligible to apply for the SSO feeding program during times of prolonged school closures, such as declared states of emergencies and summer vacation periods. It is crucial that families understand the distinction between SSO and NLSP.
Once the regular school year begins - in-person or virtually – schools must follow the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program regulations, where student meals pricing is dependent on the individual student’s benefit eligibility. This is based on the Household Application for Free or Reduced Price Meals or a school’s CEP designation.
Meal Service Process
The HCS Child Nutrition Department will serve breakfast and lunch meals each school day during green, yellow, and red operating phases. All students enrolled in Hawkins County Schools – in-person, e-learning, or Hawkins County Virtual Academy (HCVA) – may participate in the meal service program. Beginning August 24th, meals will be offered for pick up from 11:30am – 12:30pm at each school for e-learning students, HCVA students, and any time other students are learning remotely. Parent/guardians may pick up meals with or without students present. Meals may be picked up at any HCS school, not just the student's home school. Please see each school's plan for pickup location.
Student meal prices will be dependent on an individual student’s benefit eligibility – free, reduced price, or full price. Lunch price for grades PK-8 is $2.25 and $2.50 for grades 9-12. Reduced price lunch is $0.40 for all grades. Students enrolled at a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school as their home school may receive meals at no charge (see the CEP school list).
Due to health and safety concerns, we request that payment for pickup meals be made online if possible. Student meal accounts may be funded online at www.myschoolbucks.com or by sending payments to your student's home school.
CEP Schools
Carter's Valley Elementary
Clinch School
Hawkins Elementary
Joseph Rogers Primary
Keplar Elementary
McPheeter's Bend Elementary
St. Clair Elementary
Universal Free Breakfast for all schools!
Free or Reduced Price Meal Application
It is essential that families complete the Household Application for Free or Reduced Price Meals as soon as possible once school begins so that a benefit determination can be made. Schools also receive other sources of federal and state funding based on the information gathered from the applications. The information you provide helps ensure your child continues to have access to critical educational resources. Families may apply by completing the paper application that will be in the student’s back-to-school informational packet or online at www.schoollunchapp.com or via a link on the HCS website at www.hck12.net.
Meal Serivce August 5th-7th
To get families and students acclimated to the meal pickup process, all schools will have pickup meals available August 5th, 6th, and 7th from 10:30am-12:30pm daily. Breakfast and lunch will be offered. Please see each school's plan for pickup location.
There will not be meal service the week of August 10th, as these are not instructional school days for students. Meals service will resume August 17th.