Employees of the Food Service Department are dedicated to providing nutritious meals at a reasonable cost to students of Culpeper County Public Schools. We believe that well-nourished children find the road to success easier to travel.

All of our schools participate in the National School Lunch Program, which mandates nutritional requirements, including the percentage of calories from fat and amount of saturated fats.

The Food Service Department serves about 1,068,000 meals (breakfast and lunch) annually. Believe it or not, in one school year, Culpeper’s students consumed: 27,000 servings of green beans, 17,300 servings of grapes and 762,592 cartons of milk.

Food sales – both meals and ala carte items -- sustain the food service portion of the school budget. Our cafeterias remain budget neutral in a time when many food service departments look to the overall school budget for financial support. Our staff continually searches for food products that are not only wholesome but economical -- and just plain tasty.

About 46 percent of our students receive free or reduced-price meals. If you would like more information about this program or want to receive an application form, please call 825-8212.

School Cafeteria Prices:

Breakfast:

• K-8th grade - FREE

• High School- $1.90    

• Adult- $2.60

Lunch: 

• K-8th grade- FREE

• High School - $3.00

• Adult- $4.35

 A la carte menu prices vary according to selection.

Parents who would like to make requests or ask questions concerning their child’s food choices may contact the cafeteria manager at the school. Each school uses a computer system that can note food allergies and track or block a student’s food selections.

If you prefer to complete a paper application, contact your child's school.

On Friday, August 25th, Kindergarten student Donnie was eating breakfast in the cafeteria just like any other day. However, this day was not like others because he began to choke on his cereal. He then sought out the help of a trusted friend in our SPES lunch lady, Janet Lemen. Since his time at Sycamore Park, Janet had been kind to Donnie and helped him get his lunch and settle into the lunch room. According to Donnie, she had become someone that he looked forward to seeing each day and had built a relationship with. Well, that relationship proved important when Donnie approached Janet when choking. She immediately stepped into action and performed light back blows to dislodge the food that was stuck in Donnie's throat. He was scared, but his trust in Ms. Lemen saved his life. Ms. Lemen says about that day, “He came running to me, which made me feel special. Instinct kicked in…I was relieved when it popped out and that he is ok.”