School dining rooms are inspected more often than other places that serve food because they serve children. Middle and high schools are inspected three times a year. Elementary schools are inspected four times a year. Check out the sanitation score of your child's school lunchroom.

Nutrition standards for school meals are aligned with the latest nutrition science. Age-appropriate meals are designed for grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 based on the meal pattern established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and dietary specifications including limits on fats, sodium, and calories. We perform a nutrient analysis using specially developed software for school meal programs and we adapt our menus to reflect the recent nutritional guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Our school meals initiatives focus on the improvement of student health and enhanced ability to learn through better nutrition. Meals are made fresh daily and we offer a variety of appetizing choices that include quality proteins such as 100% beef and whole-muscle chicken, low-fat dairy, an assortment of fruits and vegetables and more whole grains. Download our digital Farm to School magazine featuring the nutrition and wellness benefits of several food items that are seen throughout the year in the school lunch service.

Strawberries, watermelons, cantaloupes, apples, grapes, peaches, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, broccoli and blueberries that are grown on North Carolina farms are served in our dining rooms throughout the year. Our participation in the North Carolina Farm to School Program gives students the opportunity to enjoy locally grown produce. The N.C. Department of Agriculture program supports local agriculture opening an additional market for North Carolina farmers. Download our digital Farm to School magazine to learn more about NC products and NC farms. Learn more about the North Carolina Farm to School Program [VIDEO].

Students are encouraged to take what they want and to eat what they take. Offer vs Serve is a meal option that allows students to make food choices and minimize waste. Students are offered a "meal" consisting of a certain number of components; however, students may choose to decline certain components and still be served a complete meal that qualifies them to pay the combination meal price.

At lunch, students must take at least three of the five components - meat or meat alternative, fruit, vegetable, grain and milk - and one must be a fruit or a vegetable serving in order to be charged the combination meal price. At breakfast, students must take at least three of the four items offered, and only one must be a fruit or vegetable serving. Some food items may contain more than one component. For example, lasagna is meat, bread/grain and vegetable.

Students that take less than the required components must pay the a la carte price for those items because the U.S. Department of Agriculture will not subsidize the cost of the incomplete meal.

Other general rules:

• Students must take at least ½ cup serving of the fruit or vegetable component or a combination of ¼ cup fruit and ¼ cup vegetables.
• Students may take two ¼ cup servings of the same item - fruit or vegetable - to meet the requirement.
• Cashiers will remind students that they have an incomplete meal before charging a la carte prices. 
• WCPSS offers more fruits and vegetables daily than is required. Students may take all side choices as part of the meal except that a maximum of 2 fruits is permitted when an assortment of fresh fruits is offered. Students must still receive the required meal components to qualify for the combination meal price.

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 Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, 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.