School Meals

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Boston Public Schools provides healthy and appealing meal choices for students. All schools serve breakfast and lunch daily, and those with after-school programming may also provide afternoon snack. All of the meals we offer meet the nutrition requirements set by the USDA Food & Nutrition Service to support children’s healthy growth and development.

School Menus and Prices

School menus are updated monthly. To see the menu for your school, please look up your school's listing in the directory.

The majority of Boston Public Schools offer Universal Free Breakfast, and many schools also have Universal Free Lunch.At these schools, all students receive meals at no cost. To find out if your child’s school offers Universal Free Breakfast or Lunch, contact the school directly.

Boston Public Schools participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, and students may be eligible for free or reduced price meals based on their family's household income. Student prices for school meals in the 2008-09 school year are as follows:

Teachers, staff and visitors may also purchase school meals. Breakfast items are sold individually (a la carte), while lunch is available at the following rates (tax included):

The prices for paid student meals and adult meals reflect a cost increase over the previous school year due to increased food and transportation costs.

Applications for Free and Reduced Price Meals

Boston Public Schools asks all parents to fill out an application for free and reduced priced meals at the beginning of each school year, even if parents do not think they will qualify for free or reduced price meals. Completed forms can be given to the cafeteria manager or attendant at your child’s school.

Meal Application Summary
Meal Application Instructions
Meal Application Form

Visit the "Welcome" pages of this site for translations of these forms in the following languages: Cape Verdean creole, Chinese, Haitian creole, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Summer Food Service Program

During the summer, Boston children can take advantage of the Summer Food Service Program to get free, healthy breakfast and lunch. Each year, the Summer Food Service Program provides meals for children ages 18 and under at nearly 200 locations throughout the city, including schools, community centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, churches, Boston Housing Authority sites, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) pools, and YMCAs. The Summer Food Services Program is funded by the federal government and administered by the Massachusetts Department of Education. Boston Public Schools Food & Nutrition Services Department sponsors the program locally. To find the site closest to you, call 1-800-645-8333.