Frequently Asked Questions

We provide natural, local milk from Royal Crest Dairy in Longmont. We buy local whenever possible because it reduces environmental impact, preserves quality, and supports local businesses.

Whenever possible, we purchase foods that are locally grown and produced. We purchase vegetables from our local farmer partners and fruit from our regional partners on the western slope. We like to envision our ability to purchase locally-grown produce as a circle around the Boulder Valley that expands and contracts with the seasons. As local items become available in the bountiful fall months, the circle will shrink. As winter and spring set in, our purchasing circle needs to widen a bit to get all of the products we need. Learn more about BVSD farmer partners and local food vendors...

We purchase the following local, antibiotic- and hormone-free proteins: bulk ground beef for nacho meat and hamburger patties from Legacy Meats of Kersey, CO; bone-in chicken and chicken tenders from Colorado Native Foods of Denver; bratwurst and Italian sausage from Old Style Sausage of Louisville; and grass-fed, all-beef hot dogs from Coleman Natural Foods. Our diced chicken items are USDA commodity processed products from Pilgrim's Pride.

These certifications recognize our commitment to high-quality food ingredients and transparency within the food service world. Learn more about our program's awards and certifications...

Yes! Participation in school lunch continues to increase! Since 2009, we have not radically changed the offerings on the menu; we have improved the quality of the ingredients. The kids still have pizza, burgers, pasta, and nachos – retooled to take out the less nutritious ingredients – e.g., we replaced canned cheese sauce with real cheese on the nachos. 

Our director, Carolyn Villa, gets feedback regularly from students and their parents. We do taste testing during lunch to get direct student feedback and ascertain student preferences. Our kitchen staff also talks with students about what they're enjoying and what they would prefer to see changed. From this feedback, we have changed numerous recipes and menu items in an effort to serve healthy food that the students will enjoy. We also survey families annually for feedback on preferences and the menu items they do and don't like.

Allergen and nutrition information is embedded into the menu calendars posted on our Menus page. By clicking on the menu item, you can view a dish's description, picture allergens, nutrition information. On the Menus page, you can search by keyword as well.

Additionally, allergen, nutrition, and gluten-free information sheets are posted here. 

Thanks for Colorado voters, breakfast and lunch are free for students as part of the Healthy School Meals for All Program in Colorado. Students receive one free entree and unlimited salad from the salad bar each day. Second entrees will be served when there is food available, and those can be purchased using funds from each student's meal account. It is still important that parents fill out the Free and Reduced application. Even though lunch is now free, this form is important for receiving reduced fees in other areas. It is also important for the district to receive state and federal reimbursement for meals served. Adults can purchase a lunch for $5.50.

Applications for free/reduced-price meals are available online through your BVSD Infinite Campus Student/Parent Portal. More detailed information about the program, including income eligibility requirements, is posted here.

Learn all about BVSD School Gardens including a list of school gardens, garden partners and suggestions for starting and maintaining school gardens here.

No BVSD taxpayer dollars were used to make our menu calendars. The calendar project was made possible by support from our generous local partners, Premier Members Credit Union.

Uniforms prevent your street clothes from being ruined. They also elevate the “lunch lady” to a respectable and professional status in the schools. Kids nowadays are exposed to cooking and chef shows on cable TV and they think chefs and cooks are pretty cool. We do, too.

There are several ways you can help. Visit our Get Involved page.

The School Food Project relies on grants and individual donations to sustain our lunchroom, farm-to-school, and school garden programs. That means we need YOUR HELP to sustain and expand our programming.

No! Breakfast is available to every single student who wants it, free of charge! View breakfast menus here.

If your student has a positive meal account balance and you would like to request the funds returned, please complete the Meal Balance Funds Action Form here. Once you've completed the form, you should receive a refund in 3 to 4 weeks. Per statute CR 38-13-108.2, property (including meal account balances) held by a school district, which remains unclaimed by the owner for more than one year after becoming payable or distributable, is presumed abandoned and will be submitted to the State of Colorado.

Please feel free to contact Carolyn Villa, Director of Food Services, with your feedback.