A familiar company will now be providing meals for CCSD 89 elementary students who get lunch at school. Quest Food Management Services, which currently serves lunches at Glen Crest Middle School, will now also be providing lunches at all four CCSD 89 elementary schools.
The previous provider for CCSD 89 elementary lunches unexpectedly closed this summer. Quest Food Services agreed to expand its work with CCSD 89.
Meals will be prepared at Glen Crest in the morning, then delivered to the elementary schools. The school year will begin with cold meals at the elementary schools (such as deli sandwiches) while the new service provider deals with supply chain issues. The district is hopeful to be able to provide warm meals later in the school year.
More information about the school lunch program is included below.
How much will lunch cost?
The cost for an elementary lunch will be $3.25, including a milk. The cost for a Glen Crest lunch will be $3.50, including a milk. If milk is purchased separately, it will cost 50 cents at both elementary and middle school.
As a reminder: this year, schools will only be serving free meals to students who qualify under the free-and-reduced lunch program. All students had been receiving free meals as part of the federal government’s pandemic relief. That program expired prior to the start of this school year.
Information about free and reduced lunch applications and fee waivers was shared with families on July 21. More info: https://conta.cc/3PyWSbJ
How will elementary students pay for lunches?
Elementary and middle school students will continue to pay for lunches with their school ID, which is linked to a MySchoolBucks account. Balances from the previous year have been rolled over.
Families can access MySchoolBucks directly or through their PowerSchool account. They will be able to monitor their student’s purchases, check balances, add funds, and receive low-balance alerts. To load lunch funds, families can log in to their MySchooBucks account through PowerSchool or directly through myschoolbucks.com, then go to “Meal Accounts”, then “Make a Payment”.
Students can pay for meals with their student ID and funds will be automatically deducted.
More information can be found at www.ccsd89.org/lunch. If you need assistance with your account, you can find helpful how-to videos and answers to commonly asked questions by visiting myschoolbucks.com. You can contact MySchoolBucks directly by logging into your account and starting an online chat or calling (855) 832-5226.
How do I set up a MySchoolBucks account?
If you have not previously used MySchoolBucks, start at the MySchoolBucks homepage then choose “Sign Up Free” from the left side of the page.
Select “Illinois” then “Community Consolidated School District 89” from the drop-down menus. Next, enter your email address, create a password, and answer the password-retrieval questions. The system will send you an email to allow you to log in to the MySchoolBucks site.
How do I link MySchoolBucks with my PowerSchool account?
Families can link their PowerSchool and MySchoolBucks accounts. It is not required but some families appreciate the convenience. Letters were mailed to new CCSD 89 families with the individualized code needed to create an account in PowerSchool, which is also used to check student grades.
Families that used MySchoolBucks in the past may have already linked their accounts.
Once you have set up your child’s account, you may add funds to his/her account online via a credit card or direct debit from your checking account. There is a fee to use the online process.
Are there other ways to pay?
You may also make a payment on your child’s account by writing a check made out to “Community Consolidated School District 89” and sending it to school with your child. If you choose to pay by check, please be sure to write your child’s name, grade, and amount on the envelope. Credit cards cannot be accepted at the schools for payment on your child’s account. We strongly encourage parents not to send students to school with cash; however, we are prepared to handle cash in the serving line only.
How will families know what is being served?
Families will be able to check school menus in two ways:
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By going to www.fdmealplanner.com then typing in the name of your student’s school. For example: “Arbor View”, “Briar Glen”, “Glen Crest”, “Park View”, or “Westfield”.
- By downloading the FDMealPlanner app.
What will change about the Glen Crest meal program?
The Glen Crest lunch program remains the same. Meals will be prepared and served in the cafeteria.
Glen Crest students will also be able to pay for meals using their school ID. Funds should be loaded through the MySchoolBucks account. Families can link their PowerSchool account – which is used to check grades – to their MySchoolBucks account. Instructions for creating a MySchoolBucks account or linking it with a PowerSchool account are above.
Will vegetarian options will be available?
Vegetarian meals are available upon request.
Other questions
If you have questions about the school lunch program, contact Lauren Parker at lparker@ccsd89.org.
