School meals – WCSD No. 1 keeps costs the same, but food changes are in store for older students
Weston County School District No. 1 families can see some changes with the district’s departure from the federal school lunch program, but prices are the same as last year’s, Food Service Director Tracy Leonard told the News Letter Journal.
At full price, breakfast costs $2 for Newcastle Elementary students, $2.25 for Newcastle Middle School and Newcastle High School students, and $2.65 for guests and teachers, according to the district’s food service program’s webpage, wcsd1.org/apps/pages/Food_Service. The full price for lunch is $2.50 for elementary school students, $3 for NMS and NHS students, and $4.60 for guests and teachers. Milk costs 45 cents.
The district is also retaining its free and reduced meals program. Reduced prices are 40 cents for lunch and 30 cents for breakfast.
Families that want their children to receive free or reduced lunch at Weston County School District No. 1 must complete new paperwork every year. According to a federal eligibility income chart for the 2025-26 school year the district distributed in paperwork, children who can receive free or reduced-price meals include those who receive benefits from state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. Foster children who are legally cared for by an agency or court, children who participate in Head Start; children who are homeless, runaway or migrant also qualify.
Children may qualify if their household income does not exceed a certain threshold. For example, a household of four may qualify if the annual income is no greater than $59,478. Families in the Women, Infants and Children Program might also qualify.
Families can apply later in the school year if their income status changes, according to the form.
The district will have a lot more homemade food this school year for middle school and high school students, Leonard said. Food service staff will also try to use donated beef products and pork products at least two or three times a week, according to Leonard.
“There’ll definitely be a little bit more mobility for the middle school and high school lunches,” she said.
These changes are ways the district is trying to increase the number of students eating onsite, according to Leonard.