Child Nutrition

It is the intent of Elba City Schools to provide an opportunity for each student to eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch during the school day. It is also the policy of Elba City Schools to comply with all federal program regulations pertaining to the National School Breakfast and National School Lunch programs. As per the federally governed Child Nutrition Program regulations, uncollected meal charges constitute a bad debt and are unallowable.

Due to Elba City Schools being part of the Community Eligibility Program (CEP), all students are provided a reimbursable breakfast and lunch free of charge. Due to this, students are not allowed to charge meals. Board employees are not allowed to charge meals.  It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to pay for a student's meals at the time they are received if the student chooses to eat Alacart offerings. Students and staff are encouraged to deposit money into their meal acounts regularly, whereby a draft of the account may be made on a daily basis as the meal is purchased.

With the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the National School Lunch Program now includes a new universal meal program, the “Community Eligibility Provision” (CEP), which is being phased in over several years by the USDA. CEP permits eligible schools to provide meal service to all students at no charge, regardless of economic status, while reducing burden at the household and local school levels by eliminating the need to completing the free and reduced household meal application. A school is eligible for CEP if at least 40% of its students are “directly certified”.  Implementation of Community Eligibility began in 2011-2012 in Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan. In the 2012-2013 school year, the USDA added District of Columbia, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia. Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts and Maryland was added during the 2013-2014. It was available in all states in the 2014-2015 school year.

Elba City Schools will be participating in the CEP during the 2023-2024 school year. Parents will not have to complete free/ reduced meal applications. All students will be eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch.
Ala cart items are not included in the free meals. Extra items can still be purchased at the high school.

Other prices:

Employee:

                   Breakfast: $3.00

                   Lunch: $4.50

Visitor:

Children:    Breakfast: $3.00         

                   Lunch: $4.50

Adult:         Breakfast $3.00

                   Lunch: $4.50

School                                             Date Inspected                                 Score

Elba High School                               4/18/2023                                      94

Elba Elementary School                    4/18/2023                                     97

Elba City Schools has a district policy that no outside food products can be brought into the cafeteria in the original boxes or bags; for example, Burger King or Subway bags or Pizza Hut pizza boxes. Items that are rewrapped or placed in a non-identifiable container have been acceptable. Carbonated beverages in the original containers are also prohibited. It is permissible if they are placed in a thermos or other container in which they cannnot be identified. These guidelines should be followed by both students and adults in the cafeteria.

Offer vs. Serve (OVS)

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) OVS is established under section 9(a)(3) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. OVS was extended to the School Breakfast Program (SBP) in 1985 under section 4(e) (2) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. The regulations on OVS for the NSLP are found at 7 CFR 210.10 (e) and for the SBP at 7 CFR 220.8 (e).

School meals are priced as a unit. The lunch unit consists of one entree, one serving of vegetables, one serving of fruit, one serving of grains, and milk. Students may take all five components, but must have at least three components to be called a unit. Milk does not have to be one of the components. One component must be a 1/2 cup serving of the fruit or vegetable component or a 1/2 cup total serving of both the fruit and vegetable. If a student refuses to pick up a 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetables or a 1/2 cup total of fruits and vegetables, the student will be charged a la carte for each item on their plate.

The breakfast unit constists of one serving of grains, one serving of fruit, one serving of vegetables, and milk. A meat or meat alternate is an optional component. Students may take all four components, but has to have at least three to be a unit. Milk does not have to be one of the components. One component must be a 1/2 cup serving of the fruit or vegetable component or a 1/2 cup total serving of both the fruit and vegetable. If a student refuses to pick up a 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetables or a 1/2 cup total of fruits and vegetables, the student will charged a la carte for each item on their plate.

** Under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, only fat-free (unflavored or flavored) and unflavored low-fat milk can be served in the cafeteria.

The following employees are ServSafe certified:

Mrs. Christina Morgan, CNP Director

Mrs. Evelyn Manning, EHS Lunchroom

Mrs. Cindy Bedsole, Manager - EES Lunchroom

Ms. Diane Boswell, EES Lunchroom

Mrs. Kadra Vignola, EES Lunchroom

Mrs. Maria Powell, EES/EHS Lunchroom

Mrs. Ronda Robinson, EHS Lunchroom

Elba City Schools has adopted a Wellness Policy on Physical Activity and Nutrition. During this review, the goal was to make sure the Wellness Policy is being implemented and enforced at the schools it is applied to: Elba High School and Elba Elementary School.  

At all of these locations, the National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program are provided and made available to all students. The respective USDA guidelines are followed for each program. As per the Wellness Policy, the review showed no food sales where happening during the lunch and breakfast time periods. All other snacks that are sold comply with guidelines set forth by the USDA. The Elba elementary school sells snacks and 100% fruit juices at snack/break time and Elba High School’s beverage vending machines follow the current Smart Snack guidelines as well.

All of Elba City Schools conduct fundraising activities throughout the school year; which include, fruit sales around the holiday season at Elba High School and Fall Festivals at the elementary school. All of these fundraisers fall within the guidelines of the Wellness Policy that is currently being used.

Daily participation in physical activity is provided to the elementary school along with Physical Education classes being mandatory for grades K-8.

During this review, a designated Wellness Committee member completed the evaluations of the schools and were able to give feedback on the actions being put toward keeping schools physically active and nutritionally healthy.

Committee members met again to updated the policy in June 2023.

 

For more information regarding the Wellness Policy, please contact Christina Morgan at cmorgan@elbaed.com.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information

(e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

 

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

(1) The purpose for collecting race and ethnicity data is to determine how effectively School Meal Programs are reaching potentially eligible students.

 

(2) Provision of this data is voluntary.

 

(3) Responses are kept confidential.

 

(4) Responses have no effect on eligibility.