Food Services
Melanie Steinweis, School Lunch Manager
631-930-1532
Colleen Guimaraes, Senior Office Assistant
631-930-1512
Cara Wenk, Senior Office Assistant
631-930-1511
**ALLERGY ALERT**
Beginning January 2023, the following items that are served in school kitchens will contain sesame:
- all bagels
- meatball hero rolls
- deli sandwich rolls
- chicken sandwich rolls
Hamburger buns do NOT contain sesame however, they are produced in a facility in which sesame is present. The whole wheat bread that is used for grilled cheese and daily sandwiches do NOT contain sesame and are produced in a sesame-free facility.
The West Islip School District is excited to offer MySchoolBucks® as our online payment service. This service provides a quick and easy way to pay for school-related purchases by using a credit/debit card or electronic check. You can also view recent purchases, check balances, and set-up low balance alerts for cafeteria purchases. Click the link below for detailed information.
Note: Credit card information for MySchoolBucks account payments cannot be accepted via phone, text message or email. Credit card information can only be submitted on the MySchoolBucks website or application (www.MySchoolBucks.com).
The West Islip School District Department of Food Services is committed to providing healthy and delicious meals, snacks and beverages to our students. The department operates a full-service student cafeteria in every district school. Every school offers daily lunch options, as well as various snacks and drinks (a la carte items) for sale. Daily breakfast is offered at the middle schools and high school. All meals and a la carte items continue to be in compliance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
Meal Prices 2024-2025
Pre-K and Elementary Lunch $2.50
Secondary Lunch $3.00
Secondary Breakfast $1.75
Student School Food Accounts
Every district student has a school food account on our Mosaic point-of-sale (POS) system. When a student makes a purchase in a school cafeteria, his/her individual school food account is first opened on our POS system (cash register). This process provides information on the availability of any prepaid school food account funds for the student, and also allows the cashier access to timely and reliable student information.
School food accounts are accessed at the cash register when a student inputs his/her unique student identification number into the POS pin pad. Young students, new students and any students not familiar with cafeteria processes and/or their student identification number will be assisted by staff to ensure an easy, seamless and positive cafeteria experience. Purchasing meals, snacks and drinks is very simple in our school cafeterias.
Free & Reduced-Price Meals
Free and reduced-priced meals are available for qualifying students whose families meet current eligibility criteria, as determined by federal income guidelines. Applications can be found on the links to the left. Applications are also available at every district school and for pick-up at District Office. All information is kept confidential. Call the Department of Food Services at 631-930-1510 for more information or for assistance with completing your application.
Students who receive free or reduced-price meals are processed at the cash register in the same way as students who purchase full-price meals. Information on student eligibility for free and reduced-price meals is “coded” into our POS system - no special indication is ever given.
Students who receive free or reduced-price meals are encouraged to have prepaid funds on their school food account. These funds can be used to cover the cost of any a la carte items the student may want to purchase.
Applications for free and reduced-price school meals may be filed at any time during the school year. If an application is initially denied, submit a new application if family circumstances change during the school year (e.g. decrease of income, increase in household size, etc.).
Prepaid Funds on School Food Accounts
Prepaid funds on school food accounts can be used for the purchase of full-price meals, reduced-price meals and/or any a la carte item sold in our cafeteria. You can deposit funds onto your student’s school food account in a variety of ways:
1. Online via MySchoolBucks. For instructions on depositing funds via MySchoolBucks, click here. Note: MySchoolBucks charges a service fee for each online deposit;
2. By the student in the cafeteria at lunchtime - cash or check accepted (no service fee);
3. Via drop-off or postal mail (check recommended) to the Department of Food Services (no service fee). Address:
West Islip School District, Attn: Food Services
100 Sherman Avenue
West Islip, NY 11795.
Please make all checks payable to West Islip Cafeteria Fund.
Account funds that remain at the end of the school year will be carried over into that student’s school food account for the following school year and/or used to cover the negative account balances in sibling/household school food accounts.
Contact the Department of Food Services to request a refund, or to transfer funds into the account of another student in your household. Unclaimed funds for withdrawn, transferred or graduated students must be requested within one school year. After one school year, unclaimed funds become the property of the district’s Department of Food Services.
You can limit your student’s school food account spending to a daily dollar amount. If you would like to limit your student’s daily spending email: m.steinweis@wi.k12.ny.us or call 631-930-1510.
Meal Charge & Prohibition Against Meal Shaming
Click here for the District’s Prohibition Against Meal Shaming plan.
Unpaid meal Charges
Unpaid meal charges on a student’s school food account are the responsibility of that student’s parent/guardian. These charges are expected to be repaid as soon as possible. Repayment of unpaid meal charges can be made as a one-time payment or in smaller installments.
Repayment can be made:
1. Online via MySchoolbooks
2. By the student in the cafeteria at lunchtime (cash or check accepted)
3. Via postal mail to the address listed above. Payment by check is recommended for postal mail payments
4. Via drop-off. Please call to schedule a time for drop-off
5. Via transfer of funds from student school food accounts within the same household
Limiting Meal Charges
A parent/guardian is held accountable for all unpaid meal charges incurred on his/her student’s school food account. A parent/guardian can restrict his/her student from charging meals by making such a request in writing.
Accommodating Students with Disabilities, Food Allergies & Medically Prescribed Diets
Substitutions for a meal (or a meal component) to accommodate the special dietary needs of a student will be made when that need is certified in writing by a physician or a state licensed healthcare professional.
The medical statement must include:
• Information about the student’s impairment and how it restricts the student’s diet
• An explanation of what must be done to accommodate the needs of the student
• The food(s) to be omitted and recommended alternatives, if appropriate
Medical statements should be sent to your student’s school nurse. Additionally, please call or email the Department of Food Services to discuss specific meal plans for your student.
Food preferences (e.g. preferring a gluten-free diet for perceived health benefit) are not accommodated. Parents/guardians are encouraged to accommodate all food preferences by sending their student with meals and snacks from home.
If you believe a violation has occurred regarding your request and denial for a reasonable modification for your student, contact:
Elisa Pellati, Assistant Superintendent of Business
100 Sherman Avenue
West Islip, NY 11795
Phone: 631-930-1531
Click Here for the District's Wellness Policy and Triannual Assessment
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:
Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
FAX: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
Email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.