Food and Nutrition Services

Children need healthy meals to learn. Salem Academy Charter School offers healthy meals every school day at no cost to all students. We receive funding for this through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Lunch and breakfast at no cost for all of our students is now permanent. We need your help to keep providing free meals to all students in future years.

Completing the meal benefit application can:

•   help sustain free meals for our school(s) by increasing access to Federal funding 
•   drive funding for educational programs in our community
•       help provide free summer meals to all kids, and free meals to kids in childcare in our community.

Families who qualify for free or reduced-price meals for their children can also be qualified for Summer EBT starting in the summer of 2025.  Summer EBT provides extra money for groceries during the summer months when kids aren’t in school.  Your participation can help your family and your community. The information you provide is confidential.  We follow strict federal rules to keep your information private.  

If you are not receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and have been approved for free or reduced-price school meals, you may be eligible for SNAP which provides monthly financial assistance to purchase groceries to Massachusetts residents who qualify. Find out if you are eligible for SNAP today by calling Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333 and a counselor can help you apply over the phone. You can also apply on your own online at DTA Connect: https://dtaconnect.eohhs.mass.gov/apply

Meals are provided by Trio Community Meals, a company that specializes in providing delicious, balanced meals which meet the school lunch nutrition standards. These standards include reducing sodium, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables with each meal.

Vegetarian Options are available daily upon request.

Special Diets (allergy, gluten-free, or any other diet type) will be made available but medical documentation is required.

Nuts Trio is not a nut-free facility though they make every effort to prevent any cross-contamination. Nuts are never included in any menu item. However, some packaged snacks may be produced in a factory that also processes nuts.

MILK

Milk is included in the price of lunch.  We offer Skim (0%), Low-Fat (1%), and 0% chocolate or strawberry milk.

Questions? Please contact

Erica Klag, Director of Food and Nutrition Services
(978) 744-2105 or [email protected]

Documents and References

(printable)

• FAQs
• School Wellness Policy
• Wellness.Policy.Assessment
• Media Release
• Free & Reduced Price Meal Policy
• Confidentiality Statement
• English Application for Free/Reduced Price Meals
• Spanish Application for Free/Reduced Priced Meals
• Instructions for filling out the application (English)
• Instructions for filling out the application (Spanish)

Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of
race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with
disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or
local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted 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; or
2. fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
[email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Salem Academy Non-Discrimination Statement

Salem Academy Charter School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, creed, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, pregnant or parenting status, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, homelessness, socioeconomic status, academic status, mental, physical, developmental or sensory disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in English language or foreign language, or any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admissions, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or in employment and application for employment.  Salem Academy’s policy includes prohibitions of harassment of students and employees, i.e., racial harassment, sexual harassment, and retaliation for filing complaints of discrimination.