School Lunch and Breakfast
Posted:
Summary: Breakfast and lunch will be served at no cost to those children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals in grades K-12.
Seattle Public Schools School Lunch and Breakfast Program
Breakfast and lunch will be served at no cost to those students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Additionally, Seattle Public Schools has several schools that will offer free meals (breakfast and lunch) for all students.
All other students will be charged the rates shown below.
Regular Price
Elementary and K-8 Schools
- Breakfast $2.25
- Lunch $3.25
Middle and High Schools
- Breakfast $2.50
- Lunch $3.50
Paying for School Meals
Culinary Services offers a variety of convenient ways to pay for school meals. Checks and cash are accepted by the school’s Lunchroom Manager either as a pre-paid deposit to a student’s account or for purchasing individual meals, milk or other a la carte item. Checks should be made payable to Culinary Services.
Student meals can be paid for with a credit card online at PayPams.
PayPams require the Student’s ID number or meal account pin number (provided by the school) to create an account. The Student ID number can be found on report cards or by accessing The Source.
PayPams charges users $1.95 (per student) each time money is added to the online account.
Who should fill out the Free and Reduced Price Lunch application?
Fill out the application if:
- Total household income is the SAME or LESS than the amount on the chart.
- You receive Basic Food, take part in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for your children.
- You are applying for foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court.
Be sure to submit ONLY ONE application per household. We will notify you if the application is approved or denied. If any child you are applying for is homeless (McKinney-Vento), or migrant, check the appropriate box.
Online Application
Instructions on completing and submitting your application are provided below. Please email the Culinary Services Office at culinaryservices@seattleschools.org if you have questions or need additional assistance.
You can apply for free and reduced price meals online with our safe, private, and secure application on PayPams. Online Free and Reduced Lunch Application
What counts as income? Who is considered a member of my household?
Look at the income chart below. Find your household size. Find your total household income. If members in the household are paid at different times during the month and you are unsure if your household is eligible, fill out an application and we will determine your income eligibility for you. The information you give will be used to determine your child’s eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.
Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals regardless of personal use income. If you have questions about applying for meal benefits for foster children, please contact us at 206-252-0675.
HOUSEHOLD is defined as all persons, including parents, children, grandparents, and all people related or unrelated who live in your home and share living expenses. If applying for a household with a foster child, you may include the foster child in the total household size.
HOUSEHOLD INCOME is considered to be the income each household member received before taxes. This includes wages, social security, pension, unemployment, welfare, child support, alimony, and any other cash income. If including a foster child as part of the household, you must also include the foster child’s personal income. Do not report foster payments as income.
Income Chart
| Family Size | Yearly Gross Income | Monthly Gross Income | Twice Per Month Gross Income | Every Two Weeks Gross Income | Weekly Gross Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $25,142 | $2,096 | $1048 | $967 | $484 |
| 2 | $33,874 | $2,823 | $1,412 | $1,303 | $652 |
| 3 | $42,606 | $3,551 | $1,776 | $1,639 | $820 |
| 4 | $51,338 | $4,279 | $2,140 | $1,975 | $988 |
| 5 | $60,070 | $5,006 | $2,503 | $2,311 | $1,156 |
| 6 | $68,802 | $5,734 | $2,867 | $2,647 | $1,324 |
| 7 | $77,534 | $6,462 | $3,231 | $2,983 | $1,492 |
| 8 | $86,266 | $7,189 | $3,595 | $3,318 | $1,659 |
| Each additional household member add: | + $8,732 | + $728 | + $364 | + $336 | + $168 |
