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Lunch for Every Learner Program
Lunch for Every Learner Program
The district is proud to announce the introduction of our Lunch for Every Learner program, which will provide free lunch to all students throughout the district for the upcoming school year. The New York State budget for 2025-26 included funding for Universal Free School Meals for all students, regardless of income level. We are excited to bring this state-funded program to Garden City students at each of our buildings. This marks the first time our elementary and primary schools will participate in the New York State School Lunch Program, which provides access to nutritious meals for all students.
In collaboration with our food service director, the district has worked diligently to design a program that is efficient, accessible and aligned with state requirements. Though the district’s primary and elementary buildings do not have full-service kitchens, we will be offering a cold meal program with shuttle delivery to ensure all students have access to lunch each day. A preorder system will be used to help streamline meal distribution and reduce waste at those buildings.
This new initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to student health and wellness, and we look forward to offering high-quality, reimbursable meals in every school.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ'S)
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Garden City has not previously participated in the New York State School Lunch Program at the elementary or primary level since those buildings do not have kitchens. With recent state funding fully supporting free school meals and greater access to food services, now is the right time to implement a districtwide program.
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All seven Garden City school buildings will participate, including elementary and primary schools that previously did not offer lunch service.
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At the primary and elementary buildings, cold meals will be provided and delivered via a shuttle system to schools (food will be prepared daily in our secondary buildings). Each meal will meet USDA guidelines and include three components. Sample menus will be shared once they are approved by the state. At the middle and high school buildings, we will continue to offer both hot and cold lunch options for students.
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Yes. Our middle and high school buildings already offer breakfast – this will continue and will now be free for all students. We are exploring the option of possibly adding a free breakfast snack program to the primary and elementary buildings later in the school year. We will keep you updated on all developments.
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Yes. All students will be eligible to receive a free lunch each day as part of the New York State School Lunch Program. Additional meals and snacks may be available for purchase. Middle and high school students are also eligible to receive a free breakfast.
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At the middle and high schools, there will not be any change with how students order their meals. All primary and elementary meals must be ordered through an online preorder system:
- No cash transactions will be accepted.
- Orders must be placed at least two weeks in advance.
- Additional snacks may be added to a free meal for an additional cost.
- Even free meals must be ordered through the system in advance.
Details about online ordering will be shared in the coming weeks.
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Lunch monitors will distribute meals to students in each primary and elementary building during lunchtime. Meals will be delivered from a central location to these schools, since they do not have onsite kitchens.