**** UPDATE; 9/7/22 ****
As a result of the ongoing industry and national economic challenges that everyone is facing, we continue to face these same challenges with supply chain shortages. This has resulted in occasional product changes/substitutions and even limited or no availability on some of our regular products. We are also experiencing labor shortages and are doing our best to provide services under difficult circumstances at times, so please bear with us.
Great news !!
All CREC sponsored meal programs will be operating under the Community Eligibility Provision beginning with the 2022-23 school year and all meals will be served at no charge to students!!
Only the below schools still need to collect meal eligibility and meal applications even though meals are being served free during the 22-23 school year thru state and CREC Magnet School funding. Please check your school's website under "For Parents and Students > Menu and Meal Program information" for instructions on how to submit a 2022-23 meal application if you feel you may be eligible for meal benefits.
CREC Discovery Academy ( Wethersfield Sponsorship)
CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Elementary (Rocky Hill Sponsorship)
CREC PK Magnet at Progress Drive (Wethersfield Sponsorship)
Meal Programs/Sponsorship
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. CREC also offers breakfast, after-school snack programs, and summer meals in some schools. CREC Food Services ensures that all meals served meet age-appropriate nutritional guidelines and that all federal, state, and local regulations are being met. CREC is the sponsor for meal programs in most locations; however, some CREC sites are sponsored by other School Food Authorities. Coordination of meal programs among the different sponsors and towns is handled by the Food Service Program Coordinator. Please contact the Food Service Program Coordinator if you have questions about sponsorship.
Free and Reduced Priced Meals (Note: Only for non-Community Eligibility Provision schools.)
State approved family meal applications are prepared and distributed to parents at the beginning of each school year. Some students that qualify for free meals due to their participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps) are automatically eligible for free meals if their data is submitted to CREC from the Department of Social Services. Meal eligibility is
determined for the entire school year and carries forward for 30 operating days into the next school year unless new meal application information is submitted. The meal applications are processed based on the Federal guidelines and determining officials in are assigned for each programs. Verification of the meal application information submitted via a sample of households qualified for free or reduced meals must begin on Oct. 1 of each year, and parents must provide documentation/proof of their application information by November 15th if selected.
Payment for Meals (Note: all meals are served free during 2022-23 school year but meal applications are still required in non-CREC sponsored programs )
Students not qualified for free meals must pay for their meals at either the reduced or full price based on their eligibility status. Meal prices are determined by the sponsoring district, Online prepayments are available to parents in many non-CREC sponsored town online payment portals. Look under the “For Parents and Students” section for your school at the www.crecschools.org website for more meal program and payment information. Parents/students may also pay at the school, but prepayments are highly preferred. Parents that do not provide payments for their child’s meals should send meals from home with their child. Although credit for meals may be offered, it is not required by the State, and funding for unpaid meals cannot come out of any school lunch account funds.
Click HERE for CREC's Meal Charging Policy
Menus and specific meal program information for individual schools
Menus, meal application information, meal payment information, and some policies are different for most schools, depending on whether CREC or another town is sponsoring the meal program. It is important that you go directly to your child’s school website at www.crecschools.org and look under the “For Parents & Students” section in the left panel, and then select “Menus & Meal Program Info” to get accurate information and instructions that is specific for each school.
Contact Information:
Christopher Scoppetta RDN
Food Services Program
Coordinator
Operations Department
CREC (Capitol Region Education
Council)
147 Charter Oak Avenue,
Hartford, CT 06106
O: 860-509-3793 |C:
860-519-2148
Email: [email protected]/ https://www.crec.org/food/
Jeff Sidewater
Food Services Assistant Program Coordinator
Operations Department
CREC (Capitol Region Education Council)
111 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
O: 860-509-3774 |F: 860-524-4001
Email: [email protected] / http://www.crec.org/operations/food
Christine E. Wallace, SNS
Food Services Program Assistant
CREC (Capitol Region Education Council)
111 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
Office-860-240-6611|Fax-860-524-4001
Email: [email protected]/ http://www.crec.org/operations/food