School Lunch Program:

The Universal Free School Meal Program, the program providing free meals to students for the past two years, expired with the end of school in June and was not included in the Senate’s most recent spending bill.  

Families wanting to continue receiving free or reduced meals in the 2022-23 school year must fill out an Application for Educational Benefits.  Did you know it's more than a meal application?  Qualifying families may also receive free or discounted fees for extracurriculars and academic tests, like the ACT. Eligible applications support students in our school district by generating additional funds for academic support, instructional materials, teachers, paraprofessionals, and bilingual services.  

Families who do not fill out the application, or do not qualify for free or reduced meals, will begin being charged for each meal their child consumes at the beginning of the 22-23 school year.  

Family lunch accounts are created and accessed only by members of that family. Accounts are activated once money is deposited, online via Parent Portal. Students receive a five-digit number which is entered into the lunch-line computers. The computer will deduct the fee from the family lunch account.

Students will not be eligible to participate in the lunch program if the account balance goes to $0.  Please refer to Dassel-Cokato Public Schools ISD #466 - 543 Unpaid Meal Charges Policy.

Only the first meal of each day qualifies for free and reduced treatment, for those approved for the program. Second meals are charged at the regular price to the parents. Legislation enacted by the state provides students who qualify for reduced-price lunches, to also receive breakfast at no charge. For more information about free or reduced meals, please call the district office at 320-286-4100 ext.1013.

State law (Minnesota Statutes 124D.114)

Requires a Sponsoring Authority of school meal programs to provide one of these alternatives for a student with lactose intolerance if the parent has requested an alternative in writing:

• Lactose reduced milk, or
• Milk fortified with lactose in liquid, tablet, granular, or other form, or
• Milk to which lactobacillus acidophilus has been added