School Nutrition

Three friends sit at a table under a shade tree and eat their lunch. To their left is the phrase %22Free Summer Meals%22

Winona Area Public Schools will once again offer free summer meals to all children ages 18 and under in Winona — regardless if they attend a WAPS school or not.

Site Name, Address	Dates	Meal Service Time
Bob Welch Aquatic Center, 780 W. 4th St.	Monday-Thursday June 9-Aug. 14 Closed June 19, July 3	Lunch: 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Sinclair Park, 310 E. Broadway	Monday-Thursday June 9-July 31 Closed June 19, July 3	Lunch: 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Winona Middle School, 1570 Homer Road	Monday-Friday June 10-Aug. 22 Closed June 19, July 3-4	Breakfast: 7 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Lunch: 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Goodview Elementary, 5100 9th St., Goodview	Monday through Friday June 10-Aug. 22	Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Lunch: 11 a.m. to noon

All sites will be closed on June 19, July 3 and July 4. At Bob Welch Aquatic Center and Sinclair Park, meals can be taken to go.

The free summer meals are offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program. While meals were free during the school year through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), those programs end for the summer.

The USDA and WAPS recognize the need in our community for nutritious meals when school is not in session. The WAPS summer meal program, made possible by the USDA, helps fill the gap.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Please see the full USDA Nondiscrimination Statement here: https://waps.pub/3V5ECei.

SUMMER LUNCH & BREAKFAST MENUS

Application for Educational Benefits (Free and Reduced)
Free Meals at Winona Area Public Schools

Application for Educational Benefits (Free and Reduced)

Families can now fill out the Application for Educational Benefits using their laptop or a smartphone through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

Although the Minnesota Free School Meals Program allows students to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each day, families are still encouraged to fill out the Application for Educational Benefits (also known as the Free and Reduced Lunch form). Your child may qualify for other benefits, like reduced fees for activities at school. Your application may also help the school qualify for education funds, discounts and other meal programs.

There are two ways to fill out the form. One is by printing off the application linked here, filling it out by hand and mailing it back to WAPS School Nutrition, 901 Gilmore Ave., Winona, MN 55987.

Families may find it easier to fill out the form using the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Log into your account by visiting the link here, or you can do it through the Parent Portal app.

Once you log into your account, click on “More” in the left-hand menu, then click on “Meal Benefits.”

The menu of the Infinite Campus parent portal, with More and Meal Benefits in an orange circle

Common questions

Do I need to fill out a form for each child?

Who can get free school meals?

Children in households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), and foster, homeless, migrant and runaway children can get free school meals without reporting household income. Alternatively, children can get free school meals if their household income is within the maximum income shown for their household size on the instructions.

I get WIC or Medical Assistance. Can my children get free school meals?

What if my income is not always the same?

Will the income information or case number I give be checked?

How will the information be kept?

If I don't qualify now, may I apply later?

Free Meals at Winona Area Public Schools

A school nutrition worker holds lettuce that is grown at the high school as she prepares a meal.

Meals are free in Winona Area Public Schools

Our school offers healthy meals each day. We are proud to be a part of Minnesota’s Free School Meals Program. All students can get one breakfast and one lunch free of charge each day at school.

A la carte is offered at the middle and high schools. Students must have a positive balance in their account to purchase additional items. Second meals are charged at the adult rate of $4.95.

Meals, foods and beverages sold or served at schools meet state and federal requirements, which are based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines. We provide students with access to a variety of affordable and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy products. We stress the importance of families to monitor the meal accounts and maintain a positive balance as it is important to eat healthy balanced meals for student academic success.

Jennifer Walters

School Nutrition Director

District Wide

School: (507)494-0831

Shannon Wolner

School Nutrition Manager

Winona Senior High School

School: (507)494-1577

Leilla Cady

Nutrition Secretary

Winona Senior High School

School: (507)494-0830

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Our Fuel ... Your Fire

School Nutrition Services proudly prepares the fuel that feeds the fire of learning for our students and staff. We offer great tasting, healthy meals with a smile each day.

District meals meet the nutrition standards set forth in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Lunches meet one-third of the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) and breakfast meets one-fourth of the RDI as established by the National Research Academy of Sciences. The guidelines require that we offer a variety of low fat foods including more grains, fruits, and vegetables. Menus are planned to meet the calorie needs of active students.

We thank you for your past, present and future support of our school nutrition program. Our greatest joy is feeding the future.

Special Diet Concerns

According to the National School Lunch Program Act, the School Nutrition program is required to follow specific regulations in accommodating special diets for students enrolled in the Winona Area Public Schools.

Generally, children with food allergies or intolerances do not have a disability as defined in any of the Acts or laws, and the school nutrition programs may, but is not required to, make food substitutions for them. However, when food allergies result in severe, life-threatening (anaphylactic) reactions, the child's condition would meet the definition of "disability" and the substitutions prescribed by the licensed, medical physician must be made.

Winona Area Public Schools has adopted the Minnesota Department of Education Special Diet Statement form. If you are requesting any special dietary requests for your child, please take one of the enclosed forms to your family physician to have completed. These forms do not need to be renewed on a yearly basis, but must reflect the child's current needs. Once our office receives any special requests, we will contact you, if necessary, to set up a meeting to discuss your child's needs.

Special Diet Statement Request Form

From USDA memo SP26-2017:

Is a food allergy considered a disability?

A food allergy will generally be considered a disability. Under the definition of disability in the ADA, a food allergy does not need to be life-threatening or cause anaphylaxis in order to be considered a disability. A non-life-threatening allergy may be considered a disability and require a meal modification, if it impacts a major bodily function or other major life activity (such as digestion, respiration, immune response, skin rash, etc.).

Is a food intolerance recognized as a disability?

A food intolerance may be considered a disability if it substantially limits a major life activity. For example, if a child’s digestion (a major bodily function) is impaired by gluten intolerance, their condition may be considered a disability regardless of whether or not consuming wheat causes severe distress.”

Also from USDA memo SP 59-2016:

“After the passage of the ADA Amendments Act, most physical and mental impairments constitute a disability. Therefore, rather than focusing on whether or not a student has a disability, schools should focus on working collaboratively with parents to ensure an equal opportunity to participate in the School Meal Programs and receive program benefits.”

USDA 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/ad-3027.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:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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