Food Services

Children need healthy meals to learn. The Ralph C. Mahar Regional & School Union 73 operates the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) which are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered in Massachusetts by the Massachusetts Department of Education, Food and Nutrition Service. The USDA maintains, and frequently updates, rules and regulations on nutritional standards and meal pattern requirements for NSLP & SBP that we must meet every day. 

Universal Free Schools Meals

Universal free school meals for all students is now permanent in Massachusetts! To qualify for a free school meal, at all school levels, students must take a ‘Complete Reimbursable Meal’ that meets all nutritional requirements. Otherwise, a la carte prices apply. You can view your student’s transaction history for Free through your account on MySchoolBucks.com.

Reimbursable Meals

A reimbursable breakfast occurs when a student selects three items from the offered selection of whole grains, milk, and fruits and where at least one of the three items selected is a half cup of fruit. One milk is included with a reimbursable breakfast but is not required to be selected. Additional milks are considered  ‘a la carte’ and are charged accordingly. Each student is allowed one reimbursable breakfast per day, a second breakfast or additional ‘entree item’ is considered ‘a la carte’ and is charged accordingly.

Some examples of a reimbursable breakfast are:

  1. a small bowl of cereal, graham crackers, an apple, a 100% fruit juice, and one milk
  2. a granola bar, a 100% fruit juice, and a box of raisins
  3. a strawberry cup, a fresh orange, and a milk
  4. a large muffin and a 100% fruit juice

Every day for lunch we offer students a whole grain, a meat/meat alternate (plant/animal-based protein), a 1% or skim milk, and unlimited fruits and vegetables. Students may choose to take all five components offered for a reimbursable lunch, but at minimum they must select at least three where one component is a half cup of fruit or vegetable. One milk is included with a reimbursable lunch but is not required to be selected. Additional milks are considered ‘a la carte’ and are charged accordingly. Each student is allowed one reimbursable lunch per day, a second lunch or ‘additional entree item’ is considered ‘a la carte’ and is charged accordingly.

Some examples of a reimbursable lunch are:

  1. a grilled chicken filet, steamed brown rice, roasted squash, fresh apple slices, and a milk
  2. a slice of pizza and a strawberry cup
  3. corn and black bean salad, a fresh orange, and a milk
  4. a single yogurt, granola, and blueberry parfait

Lunch Menus and Nutrition Info

For all levels parents, guardians, and students can access daily interactive menus on the school website. Each lunch or breakfast menu item includes full nutritional information, including allergens. An ‘a la carte’ price list is also posted on our website and may be subject to change annually.

Payments

The Ralph C. Mahar Regional & School Union 73 recommends prepaying for any a la carte purchase through an account at MySchoolBucks.com. The money placed on your students MySchoolBucks.com account will be accessible at both Orange Elementary School and Ralph C. Mahar Regional school. MySchoolBucks.com accepts credit card payments, each student has an individual account, and parents/guardians may make a deposit that applies to as many of their children as they like. Each deposit requires a $3.25 program fee that goes to our third party vendor, Heartland. 

While a contactless check out system through MySchoolBucks.com is our preferred method of payment, we do also accept personal checks and cash on site in our schools and cafeteria’s.

Special Dietary Needs

The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), P.L. 110-325 amended the federal definition of disability, broadening it to cover additional individuals. A "person with a disability" means any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more “major life activities” and/or “major bodily functions”, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment.

Some food allergies are classified as a disability while others require special dietary accommodations. The nine major allergens include: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame, fish, and shellfish. If your student requires a meal accommodation due to a disability such as a food allergy, please be sure to complete the meal modification request form found on our website. This form should be signed by a licensed physician or a state recognized medical authority and returned to your school’s nurse who will then communicate it to the Food Services Department.

Civil Rights in the USDA

Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of these protected classes: race, color, national origin, sex, disability and age. Massachusetts state law prohibits discrimination on the basis of the federal protected classes, but also includes religious creed, gender identity, mental illness, genetics, active military, criminal record, and ancestry.

Any person alleging discrimination based on a protected class, in regard to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), has the right to file a complaint within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory action. Complaints can be accepted verbally, in writing, anonymously, and from third party representatives to the food service director. 

The school nutrition team looks forward to providing your student with a delicious and nutritious meal. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please reach out to us.

Contact Us

Katrina Bressani
Director of Food Service, Orange Elementary & RC Mahar
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Kris Wallace
Food Service Manager
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Tammy Woodard
Assistant Food Service Manager
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Civil Rights Compliance

Civil Rights Compliance Nondiscrimination Policy Statement (Spanish Translation)

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online, from any USDA office, by calling 866-632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Free language assistance, auxiliary aids, and/or accommodations are available upon request.

Please take a moment to read our civil rights compliance nondiscrimination policy statement in Spanish.