Throughout the school year, food and nutrition employees work to make sure that nutritious food is provided to the students and staff of Moorhead Area Public Schools. On any given school day, more than 3,000 meals are served in our schools.
Nutrition and value are key ingredients in student meals. All meals are well balanced and meet or exceed the USDA guidelines for good nutrition. Plus school meals cost less than most bag lunches.
Moorhead Area Public Schools encourages parents to provide healthy lunches and snacks. As an option, snacks are available for elementary milk break.
Research shows that good nutrition is linked to better behavior and academic performance. To provide the best possible learning environment for students, our district supports healthy behaviors.
Lunch menus with complete nutrition information can be found in PowerSchool.
Student Meals During Return to Learn Plan
During the 2020-21 school year, the MAPS Return to Learn Plan includes meal distribution for students in any learning model.
Meal Accounts
Students have individual meal accounts. At each meal, students enter their student number, which deducts the cost of the meal from their accounts. Students are notified when the account is running low or parents may check the PowerSchool parent portal to view their students' account balances and transactions.
Meal accounts are maintained in the school office. Students may prepay for any number of meals by putting money in the account before school. The online payment processing system, e~Funds, allows parents to pay for meals online. It is suggested that students have money in their accounts for at least a week's worth of meals and milk.
Free or Reduced-Price Meals
Some students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and breakfast. Milk break is not a part of the free and reduced program.
Families may apply for free/reduced-price meal benefits anytime during the school year. Meal applications are distributed to all families in the district prior to the first day of classes. All families are encouraged to complete the Application for Educational Benefits (read instructions) because funding for many of the district's educational programs is based on the number of our students who are eligible for and receive free or reduced-price meals. The form should be completed electronically to ensure faster processing. If the household income or size change, families can apply for meal benefits anytime during the school year.