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Food Services

Chinese chicken dish on plate.
Sandwich plate.

National School Lunch Program

Saugerties CSD participates in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. All meals are nutritionally balanced and adhere to the federal nutrition regulations set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Child Nutrition Program of the State Education Department.

Why Are School Meals No Longer Free This Year?

For the past two years, students could get school meals for free whether their parents filled out a meal application or not — unfortunately, that won’t be the case this fall. The USDA made it possible for our school nutrition program to serve all students free breakfast and lunch through federal waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress did not extend these waivers for the upcoming school year, so this new school year we will be back to regularly priced meals. Our school lunch program is a solely funded entity that only receives revenue from meals served. When parents and students choose to purchase a lunch from school, it is the equivalent of supporting a small business. If you’re worried about paying for meals again, we encourage you to add one more item to your to-do list before school starts: fill out an application for free and reduced-price lunch.

Food Safety 

Food Safety is a top priority in the Saugerties CSD School Nutrition Department. Our employees are trained to follow and carry out all HACCP procedures. The Ulster County Health Department is required to conduct two health inspections per school year at each of the district’s schools. Our staff members are required to complete in-service hours annually.

The Saugerties CSD School Nutrition Program operates fiscally independent from the school district. The program is supported by revenue generated from sales made within our cafeteria as well as receiving federal and state funds based on our meal participation. The revenue earned must cover the cost of food, salary for approximately 30 employees, equipment and other operational expenses.

a la carte options are offered daily at all grade levels. These options will meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Smart Snack regulations and are compliant with the district’s wellness guidelines. Snacks will be provided in small portions and are formulated to be reduced in fat, sugar and sodium. Families will be able to regulate which items their student is allowed by filling out a permission slip provided by their school or by calling (845) 247-6651 ext. 1770. These daily a la carte offerings help the department cover operational costs, including remaining competitive in the job market.

Our goal is to continue to offer the best variety of healthy meals to our students daily ensuring that 100% of our students are successful.

contact us


Sheila Melville 
School Lunch Manager 
smelville@saugerties.k12.ny.us
(845) 247-6500 

Lauren Wittek
Secretary to Food Service
lwittek@saugerties.k12.ny.us
(845) 247-6550 Ext. 1771

Cost of Meals

Elementary Schools
Breakfast: $2.20
Lunch: $3.30
Junior/Senior High School
Breakfast: $2.45
Lunch: $3.80
Students who are approved for free/reduced-priced meals have no charge for breakfast, lunch, or snacks served through the after-school program.

Please Note:

As school foodservice programs are making preparations to return to normal service and menus, we are facing unprecedented issues with the supply chain that will cause us to alter our posted menu with little to no notice. We are working closely with our distributors and manufacturers to secure both the food and supply items needed to support our program.

While it is our intention to serve the posted menu each day at every school, supply issues will not make this possible throughout the school year until the supply chain issues are rectified. We will always attempt to substitute the scheduled menu item with another that is as similar as possible to the extent we are able to do so.