Food Service

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SCHOOL MEALS (August 2023)

The Johnson City Schools Food Service Department provides an important support service to your child's education. Our goal is to help students meet their nutrition needs on a daily basis so they can be more ready to learn. To reach this goal, the department:

1. Offers nutritious, attractive, well-prepared, and affordable meals every day to all students.

2. Provides experiences that help students develop wise food habits.

3. Operates each cafeteria to ensure total accountability.

Our Program

Johnson City Schools Food Service Department operates in all eleven schools serving breakfast, lunch, and after-school snacks. Our Meals Program has been recognized as a Program of Excellence by the School Nutrition Association. This recognition is based on exceptional administration and program accountability, nutritional integrity in menu planning, production, and procurement, and safety and sanitation.

Additionally, six schools have been recognized as Healthier US School Challenge Award recipients for exceptional programming in nutrition and physical activity. In 1993, Keystone School (the precursor to Mountain View Elementary School) received a USDA Best Practice Award for one of the first Universal Breakfast Programs in the Southeast.

In 1995, Woodland Elementary School received recognition as the Tennessee School Boards Association Design of the Year. The design was also featured in 1995, in the School Nutrition Annual Conference Architectural Design Display in Anaheim, CA. This plan has served as a master plan to all Johnson City Schools' kitchens.

Our Staff

The Johnson City Schools Food Service Department works diligently to have the best programs available for our students. Supervisor Karen McGahey, has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Service Management. She is certified as a School Nutrition Supervisor by the School Nutrition Association. A FAME Silver Star Award winner in 2005, McGahey was recognized for her work in establishing and coordinating the NETCO purchasing cooperative. Hannah Upchurch, Assistant Food Service Supervisor, has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from ETSU.

Because we place a high value on safety and sanitation, all cafeteria managers are Serv-Safe certified as are most of the school nutrition employees. All employees annually attend professional development training in school meal and foodservice related topics.

Meal Assistance Applications

In a household where one or more family member(s) are currently receiving SNAP, FDPIR, or TANF benefits, any/all child(ren) in the household can be automatically eligible for free meals. In July of each year, prior to the start of school, parents of previously enrolled children should receive a letter or telephone call informing them of their child(ren)’s direct certification eligibility. It will be important to check to make sure all children in the household are included and notify the Food Service Department office if they are not.  On the first day of school, each child will be given an application for the Free/Reduced Price Meal Program to bring home. If children are not already pre-approved as noted above, parents are strongly urged to complete and return this form regardless of income. Only one application should be completed for the entire family. Be sure to list all children, even those at other schools. The school cafeteria staff will send the applications to the Food Service Department for processing. Letters are sent home to notify households of the status at which the child qualifies – free, reduced or full pay.

Each student attending Johnson City Schools has a computerized meal account in the cafeteria. The students are assigned an account number that is unique to them. The account will be coded appropriately for children who are full pay, reduced price, or free status therefore, the child’s status is confidential.

Note: With free and reduced-price meal benefits, a student can only get a complete meal with that benefit. If the student wants only milk or juice, they must pay full price for that ala carte item. The cafeteria manager can assist parents with ways to fully utilize meal benefits.

Students enrolling mid-year can get a free and reduced-price meal application at the school office or online.

Meal Pricing