BH-BL’s Food Service Department is excited to announce that beginning in the 2025-26 school year, all students are eligible to receive free school meals. The new state-funded program–Universal Free Meals–means all students in grades K-12 may receive one free breakfast and one free lunch per school day at no cost to the student or their family.
BH-BL’s Assistant Superintendent for Support Services Dr. Christopher Abdoo says: “We are committed to ensuring that we leave no kid hungry and that we continue to serve healthy, high-quality meals that meet all USDA nutritional standards. Coming in the 2025-26 school year, we have a lot of new enhancements to our food service program, including exciting new food options.”
The free meals (breakfast and lunch) served daily are listed on the school menus, which are posted on the district website. Snacks, second meals, and additional beverages (such as bottled water or juice) are not included in the Universal Free Meals program, but can be purchased separately. Additionally, other à la carte items are also available at the high school. To purchase extra meals or other items, students must pay with cash or use the money on their school account.
No application is needed to participate in the Universal Free Meals program. The state, however, is encouraging parents/guardians who were previously eligible for the free and reduced school meal program to complete an application for each child again this year. While it is not required that income-eligible families submit an application for their children to receive meals, this information helps the district receive critical funding and resources for educational programs, internet access, and more.
“This program ensures that every student, regardless of income level, can enjoy nutritious meals throughout the school day,” adds Abdoo. “Our goal is to support student health, reduce food insecurity, and remove any barriers to learning that hunger can create.”
School Lunch Balances
Families who have already added school meal money to their child’s account or have credit from prior years, may continue to use those funds for a la carte/snack/beverage items. When students want to purchase additional items they simply tell the cashier their student ID number. Additionally, parents may also request a refund of their child’s lunch balance or they may donate the balance to help support other students in need. Anyone who has an outstanding balance is kindly asked to pay the balance as soon as possible. Negative balances may affect your child’s ability to purchase à la carte items.
If you have any questions, need help managing your student’s meal account, or have special dietary concerns, please contact the Food Service Department at (518) 399-9141 Ext: 85003 or reach out to School Lunch Director James Boule at jboule@bhbl.org.