Food Service + Lunch Program
Our kitchen, like many homes, is a center of activity and connection. Food is prepared from scratch daily, which differs from most public school lunch programs locally and nationally. We believe that the relationship between nutrition and well-prepared food contributes to school as a learning community and leads to good health habits and more focused learning.
Our lunches often utilize vegetables from our gardens, and we regularly offer a salad bar. Many of our students take dual credit culinary and sustainability classes, and are involved in preparing or serving lunch; as well as growing food.
Approximately 61% of Monte Del Sol’s students qualify for free or reduced breakfast and lunch. This program has provided students with healthier meals, but, more importantly, has given them a real-world view of the concept of sustainability in their personal lives.
Monte del Sol Charter School: Meal Program
At Monte del Sol Charter, we are committed to our students’ health and wellness. Research shows that healthy students are better able to pay attention in class and better positioned to succeed in school and in life.
The goals of our food program are to:
Support the academic success and achievement of our students
Provide nutritious meals at no charge that allow students to maintain focus
Provide healthy and fresh food offerings along with education on making healthy choices
Expose our students to new culinary experiences while still offering “kid favorites”
Click HERE to view the school’s Local School Wellness Policy
All stakeholders are able to participate in the development, review, update, and implementation of the Local School Wellness Policy. Please contact Dr. Zoë Nelsen or the school office for more details.
Student Meals at No Charge
All Monte del Sol Charter students are provided healthy, nutritious meals at no charge, including breakfast and lunch through the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs. Encourage your student to start each day with a healthy school breakfast! Eating breakfast at school is a great way for students to socialize with friends and to start the day ready to learn. And for families on the go, it makes the morning rush so much easier!
Each month, menus will be available at the main office, posted in the Gathering Space, and shared on our website.
Click Here for this month’s menu!
Meals are planned with student preferences in mind and follow the regulations of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program.
Healthy School Meals contain:
Lean protein
Whole grains
Fresh Fruits or 100% Fruit Juice
A variety of vegetables
A choice of milk,
Meals are minimally processed, calorie and sugar controlled, low in sodium, contain less than 10% saturated fat and 0g of trans fat.
Smart Snack Requirements throughout the Day
As a guideline, allowable snacks meet the following nutritional requirements per serving:
150 calories or less
35% of total calories from fat or less
10% of total calories from saturated fat or less
30g of sugars or less
230 mg of sodium or less per serving
Summer Meals
When school is not in session, the Summer Meals Program (SFSP) provides free meals to kids and teens in low-income areas. Click the link below to quickly and easily find summer meal sites near you.
Allergies and Meal Modification
If your student has any food allergies or needs a meal modification, families are required to notify the school nurse and provide documentation from a licensed medical professional, such as a Physician, Dietitian, or other medical professional authorized to write prescriptions.
Click here to download and print the required Meal Modification Form for Meals at School.
Return completed forms to the school.
See the chart to determine if your meal request can be accommodated.
**Meal Modification forms must be renewed annually.
For more information on the school nutrition program, contact: Gerald Ulibarri
Non-Descrimination
In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
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 state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination 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:
Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
Email: program.intake@usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.