Meal Payments

Payment Plan /PIN (Personal Identification Number)

The QV Café uses a computerized system for meal purchases at all Quaker Valley schools which allows parents to pay in advance for meals and/or a la carte items. Students access their accounts using a PIN pad.

Soon after enrolling your child at Quaker Valley, he/she will be sent a student number. The student should memorize this number as it will remain the same from kindergarten through 12th grade. All students who make a purchase in the cafeteria must enter their number, whether they pay with cash or with money from their account. For security purposes, a monitor displays the student’s picture when students enter their number. Any balance on the account is transferred from year to year, school to school.

Meal Payment Options

A complete breakfast meal is free for all students; a complete breakfast is: choice of entree, two fruits OR one fruit and 4 oz. 100% fruit juice, and choice of milk. A regular lunch meal will cost $3.35. A complete lunch meal includes: choice of entree, choice of 2 vegetables, choice of 2 fruits, and choice of milk. Premium meals are available at the Middle School & High School for $4.10. A premium meal is more labor-intensive to prepare. If students do not take a complete meal, they will be charged a la carte pricing for their food choices. Adult Lunch meals will cost $4.90.

The breakfast and lunch meal must be a complete meal (not a la carte items). If your student wishes to purchase a la carte items, parents may use a debit or credit card to pay for school meals through the secure online service called SchoolCafe www.schoolcafe.com. Parents must sign up, and when a payment is made, they will receive a confirmation email.

Please note, families using SchoolCafe to manage school meal accounts will be charged a $2.25 fee per transaction. To avoid this fee, Quaker Valley also offers a free and convenient option; students may bring cash or a check to the cashier during their lunch period, or families may send a check to the following address:

Food Services Department

Quaker Valley School District

100 Leetsdale Industrial Drive, Suite B

Leetsdale, PA 15106

If you choose not to deposit money online and instead want to pay by check, make checks payable to QVSD Food Services and write the student's name(s) and student ID# in the "memo" section of the check. If paying by cash, enclose a piece of paper with the student's name(s) and ID # with the money in a sealed envelope. This envelope can be returned to the classroom teacher, school main office, or cafeteria cashier.

SchoolCafe Parent Guide

Low/Negative Balances
The QV Cafe feeds all children, regardless of their ability to pay for meals. Parents can apply for federal assistance using the free and reduced application online. https://www.schoolcafe.com

Families who do not qualify for assistance are asked to load their student's accounts in advance with the amount their students may spend in a month. When the balance gets below $5.00, an automated call and email is generated once a week to alert families of the low balance.

If a student has a negative balance, they are not permitted to buy a la carte food.

Negative Balance Procedures

Managing Your Child's Nutrition

The QV Cafe software also allows cafeteria workers to highlight student accounts with specific information such as allergies, special diet needs, and account restrictions. Please contact the Food Services Administrative Assistant with these requests. They can help set up alerts on the account.

Sample alerts parents/guardians can set up:

Meals Only, No Extras

Students can only take the first meal (Breakfast and Lunch) and are not able to purchase a second meal, a la carte items, snacks, or beverages.

Cash Only for Extras

Students can only purchase extra items with cash and cannot use the money on their accounts.

1 Snack – Friday Only (or whatever day or days you choose)

We can also accommodate the occasional ala carte purchases by limiting the snacks to only a few days per week.

These flags will show up on the memo screen of the register as your student goes through the line. Our cashiers are trained to watch for notifications with each child. In an effort to keep the line moving, a flag may be accidentally overlooked. Please be considerate.

School Cafeteria Leaders are always available to address questions and concerns about your student’s account. We look forward to nourishing your student’s body and mind with our nutritiously balanced meals and wellness-friendly snacks.

Questions

If you have questions, please contact Ava Elliott, Director of Food Services, at 412-749-3610 or [email protected].