Free school meals for students

All City School District of Albany students will continue to be able to receive free school meals during the 2022-23 school year.

Because many of our families struggle economically, the district participates in a federal program that allows all students to receive breakfast and lunch for free each day. The program is known as the Community Eligibility Provision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. 

All district students can receive a healthy “complete” breakfast and “complete” lunch at their school at no charge on school days throughout the school year. Any extra items such as an extra entrée or extra milk will continue to be an additional cost.

Specific federal guidelines determine a complete meal. Several food options – meat/meat alternative, milk, fruit, vegetable and grain – are offered at each meal. Each student’s meal must consist of a certain number of these foods to be considered complete. Also, at breakfast a student must take a fruit offering and at lunch a student must take a fruit, vegetable or both for the meal to be considered complete.

Your child can participate in the program without having to pay a fee or fill out a form.

For more information, contact School Lunch Director Lisa Finkenbinder at (518) 475-6644 or lfinkenbinder@albany.k12.ny.us.