Meal Prices

Prairie Vista students getting lunch

Due to USDA school meal pricing requirements, changes in the federal reimbursement structure, and rising food costs, P-H-M Administration recommended a meal price adjustment during last night’s (Monday, July 20, 2026) Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees meeting.

Meal Pricing for the 2026-27 School Year

P-H-M school meals are healthy, well-balanced and tasty as well as providing students the nutrition they need to succeed at school. Menus are posted on the district website and at SchoolCafé.com.

School meals offer students milk, fruits and vegetables, proteins and whole grains, and they must meet strict limits on saturated fat, sodium and portion size. A detailed analysis of lunch entrées can be found on SchoolCafé.com.

Please make sure your child has meal money daily. Charges are not allowed for prepackaged à la carte menu items.

All children will receive a full school breakfast and/or lunch when they come through the serving line. If your child brings a home lunch and forgets it, or the meal account is delinquent, the student will not go without a meal. However, all meals will be charged to the account and must be paid in full.

Per P-H-M practices, the status of meal accounts are not discussed in detail at the register with the student. It is our goal to handle these discussions with parents/guardians.

One of the advantages of SchoolCafé  is that you can set up auto renewal payments when your student’s account gets low. Click for more information on how to setup your SchoolCafé account.

Click below for details on P-H-M’s Meal Charge guidelines.

FREE/REDUCED MEAL APPLICATION

Complete an application online at SchoolCafé.com. You can access the application on a computer or mobile device.

If you are unable to complete an online application, paper applications are available on this page of our website and at your child’s school.

BREAKFAST PRICES

Breakfast Programs are offered at all P-H-M schools.

The 2026-27 breakfast price is $2.25 for elementary students and $2.50 for secondary students. Students who qualify for free lunch also receive free breakfast. Reduced Breakfast is $.30 cents.

LUNCH PRICES

Students in all schools are offered many choices that they can combine into a complete lunch. The complete lunch includes 1 entrée, fruit, vegetable, and milk. Students must take at least one (1) fruit or vegetable, but may take both or two (2) fruits, or two (2) vegetables. Students not selecting a minimum of three (3) items will be charged à la carte for the items chosen. Students choosing more than one (1) entrée and three (3) sides will be charged on an à la carte basis for the additional items. Lunch prices for elementary are $3.25 and $3.50 for middle and Penn High School.

Approved free students will receive lunch for free, and students approved for reduced lunch is $.40 cents. Elementary students are required to purchase a complete lunch, unless the student has brought their lunch from home.

SNACK PURCHASES

A variety of snacks and drinks meeting the new “Smart Snacks” regulation are offered to students.

Snack purchases are limited in the elementary and middle schools as follows:

  • Elementary students are limited to one snack and one additional drink per day.
  • Middle School students are limited to two snack purchases and one additional drink per day.

Blocking Snack Purchases
Parents can block snack purchases by going to SchoolCafe.com when putting money on their child’s debit card. Snack prices at the elementary range from $.50 to $1.50. à la carte at the middle and high schools is from $.50 to $3.50.

FUNDING YOUR STUDENT’S MEAL ACCOUNT

P-H-M uses SchoolCafé is an online platform and mobile app that allows parents and students to easily manage school meals. Click here to visit our webpage to learn more about SchoolCafé and setting up your account. Parents/guardians may fund this account online.

A one-page informational letter titled **“PHM School Meal Program 2025–2026.”** The document explains the Penn-Harris-Madison (PHM) school breakfast and lunch programs, including meal options, pricing, snack policies, and payment procedures. The letter begins by stating that PHM school meals are healthy, balanced, and designed to provide students with the nutrition needed to succeed at school. It notes that menus are available on the PHM website and at SchoolCafe.com. Meals include milk, fruits and vegetables, proteins, and whole grains, and they follow federal guidelines limiting saturated fat, sodium, and portion sizes. The **Breakfast Program** section explains that breakfast is offered at all PHM schools. Breakfast costs $1.50 for elementary students and $1.75 for secondary students. Students who qualify for free lunch also receive free breakfast, and reduced breakfast costs $0.30. The **Lunch Program** section explains that students may choose items to build a complete lunch, which includes one entrée, fruit, vegetable, and milk. Students must take at least one fruit or vegetable, but they may take two fruits, two vegetables, or one of each. Students selecting fewer than three items are charged à la carte prices. Additional entrées or more than three sides are also charged à la carte. Lunch prices are $2.65 for elementary students and $2.90 for middle and high school students. Students approved for free lunch receive lunch at no cost, and reduced lunch costs $0.40. Elementary students must purchase a complete lunch unless they bring lunch from home. The **Snack Purchases** section explains that snacks and drinks meeting federal “Smart Snacks” standards are available. Elementary students may purchase one snack and one additional drink per day, while middle school students may purchase up to two snacks and one additional drink per day. Parents may block snack purchases through SchoolCafe.com. Snack prices range from $0.50 to $1.50 at elementary schools, and à la carte items at middle and high schools range from $0.50 to $3.50. The **Debit Cards** section explains that students use their student ID number as a debit account for meal purchases. Parents can add funds online through SchoolCafe.com or send cash or checks to the school with the student’s name and “lunch money” written on the envelope. Parents can also register on SchoolCafe.com to monitor purchases. Refunds are only issued for balances of $20.00 or more, but funds can be transferred between student accounts. Families are asked to notify the district if a student leaves the district. The **Free/Reduced Meal and Textbook Application** section instructs families to complete an online application through SchoolCafe.com using a computer or mobile device. Paper applications are available at each school for those who cannot apply online. The letter concludes with a **Meal Charges** reminder encouraging parents to ensure their child has meal money daily and stating that packaged à la carte items cannot be charged. Families are directed to the district’s Meal Charge policy for additional details.

You can pay for your child’s meals online using a debit or credit card or by  cash or check at the school. Click here for more details on the payment options.

If famines would prefer to send cash or check in through the school. Please specify your child’s name and “lunch money” on the envelope. You can still register your child on SchoolCafé.com to monitor their purchases. 

Please keep in mind that per district policy, refunds are only made for $20.00 or more. We are always happy to move money between student accounts.

If your student leaves the district, please notify us at (574) 254-2814.

MEAL CHARGE GUIDELINES

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) requires school food authorities to establish written administrative guidelines for meal charges. Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation will adhere to the following meal charge guidelines:

  1. Cafeteria purchases must be prepaid before meal service or paid at the point of sale using credit/debit card or EFT via the food service online payment system, or by cash or check at the point of sale or in the school office.
  2. Families are responsible for keeping track of their student’s account SchoolCafé.com can be set up by families to send low balance alerts.
  3. Students who choose a complete meal and do not have money on their account or cash in hand will have their account charged for the meal. Families are responsible for all charges.
  4. A student who has charged a meal may not charge or purchase à la carte item(s), including extra main entrees. If they do take extra food from the serving line that is not pre-packaged, your student’s account will be charged and you are responsible for the charges.
  5. Food Service will send negative balance reminders to the email listed on the student’s record. Phone calls will be made bi-monthly and letters mailed to the student’s home address on a monthly basis.
  6. All accounts must be settled by 10 days after the last day of school. Negative balances of more than $30.00 will force the District to take action to collect unpaid funds by means of collection agencies, small claims court, or any other legal method deemed necessary by the District. Uncollectible debts from students no longer in the school district will also be subject to collection. The United States Department of Agriculture does not allow school nutrition programs to write off debt.
  7. Refunds of meal account balances will be made by check mailed to the student address on record. To request a refund call or email the Food Service Office at (574) 254-2814 or mjaroch@phm.k12.in.us. Refunds will only be processed for balances of $20.00 or more per family. You may also request a transfer of any amount to be moved to another student account. 
  8. A staff member may charge up to $3.00 as long as they establish and maintain a good credit history of making payments on their Food Service accounts.
  9. This information will be shared with parents on the P-H-M website and on com. It will also be shared with appropriate school staff.