Dining Services

Want to know what nutritious and delicious meals your children will have at school? Check out our menus by selecting your children's schools.

The District Meal Menus

MySchoolBucks.com is a free online service that allows parents to make online debit or credit card payments into your child's school breakfast and lunch account.

Clayton parents can use MySchoolBucks.com to create a secure online account to manage your child’s breakfast/lunch account easily and conveniently. With MySchoolBucks.com, parents can add money to your child's account, view account balances and recent purchases, and set up notifications for upcoming payments - from the convenience of your home, office or on the go with the MySchoolBucks.com mobile app.

Here are some of the important features available on MySchoolBucks.com:

• Spending History: Parents can view a seven-day history of student purchases.
• Low Balance Email Notification: Parents can receive email notification when their student’s account balance is low.
• Meal Control Settings: Parents can select “meals only” and/or “ala carte” meals for their students.
• Spending Limit Settings: Parents can set daily and weekly spending limits for their students.
• Expired Credit Card Notification: Parents can receive email notification prior to credit card expiration.
• Multi-Student Funding: Parents can fund multiple students at the same time.

Access "How-To" videos for using your MySchoolBucks.com account, such as adding a new child to your account, setting up automatic payments and updating your payment method.

Why Should You Use MySchoolBucks.com?

• It's Free: There is no fee for using the myLunchMoney service.
• It's Easy: Enrolling and funding is simple and completed online or on the MySchoolBucks.com mobile app available for download in the Apple Store, Google Play or the Windows Phone Store. The MySchoolBucks.com app is also embedded in the District’s mobile app for easy access.
• It's Convenient: Once your account is established, you can check balances and fund the account from your computer or phone.
• It's Secure: Your personal and payment card information is protected by the most advanced Internet security.
• Never have to worry about doing it again: With our recurring payment option, money will always be in your child’s account. When a low balance is reached, money is automatically deposited.

How Do I Enroll?

• Go to www.MySchoolBucks.com and click “Sign Up Today.”

• Create an account for yourself and your children. You will need to know your child's student ID number. (Call your school's office if you don't know your child's student ID number.) You’ll need that along with your child’s date of birth and school name to enroll.
• You will then be asked to provide credit or debit card information.
• Select the Automatic Pre-Payment Option if you’d like to have a recurring payment made on your child’s account.

Breakfast

• Elementary Schools $2.35
• Wydown Middle School $2.35
• Clayton High School $2.35
• Adult $2.95
• Reduced Price $0.30

A la carte breakfast items are available at Wydown Middle School and Clayton High School. 

Lunch

• Elementary Schools $3.50
• Wydown Middle School $3.75
• Clayton High School $3.75
• Adult $4.95
• Reduced Price $0.40

Wydown Middle School and Clayton High School cafeterias also offer separately-priced a la carte items. 

Questions or comments regarding food services may be directed to Daniel Kruger, director of dining services, at 314-854-6640.

The District Food Service Management Policy EF has information on meal prices and charges. 

Unless meals are provided at no charge, the district expects students and employees to pay for meals prior to or at the time of receipt. The ability to charge meals is a privilege, not a right, and is subject to the limitations established in this procedure.

The District Food Service Management Administrative Procedure EF-AP(1) has information on unpaid meal balances. 

Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010 to help ensure students across the U.S. have access to the nutrition they need to grow into healthy adults. This legislation regulates the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) child nutrition programs, including the National School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program, and requires schools to serve nutritious, balanced meals in their cafeterias. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act went into effect in the 2012-2013 school year and required schools to increase the amount of fruits, vegetables and whole grains they serve to students, while reducing the amount of sodium and fats included in the food items sold in cafeterias.

Here is an overview of how these standards have been implemented in Clayton’s schools:

Increase In Fruits and Vegetables
We offer a larger variety of nutrient-dense vegetables, including dark green, orange, starchy vegetables and legumes. Students are required to take 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetable for their meal to be considered a full meal. Colorful fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals important for growth and development during childhood.

Allowable Grains and Proteins
Menus offer specific amounts of whole grains and proteins. This practice is intended to make sure students are receiving age-appropriate, nutritionally-adequate meals that provide the right amount of energy from healthful food sources. Whole grains are included in a wide variety of menu items including pizza crust, rolls, muffins, pancakes, waffles and cereal.

Lower Sodium
We continue to work with food manufacturers to lower the amount of sodium included in their food products. Chartwells chefs and registered dietitians have worked to modify and develop creative new recipes using non-salt seasonings, herbs and tasty fresh foods.

Reduced Fats
Unhealthy fats such as saturated and trans fat can lead to heart disease and high cholesterol, as well as other chronic diseases. We only use food products and ingredients that contain zero grams of trans fat per serving.

Menus by Age Groups
New grade groups for menu planning are aimed at ensuring students receive age-appropriate portions and nutrients. New calorie requirements have been implemented to align with these grade groups.

On July 1, 2014, the USDA’s “Smart Snacks in School” nutrition standards went into effect in schools across the country. These requirements ensure that all foods and beverages available for sale to students in school, including snacks, are tasty and nutritious. The standards incorporate science-based nutrition guidelines and set limits on the amount of calories, sodium, fat and sugar included in items sold to students during the school day. Learn more about the Smart Snacks standards.

Both Chartwells and the School District of Clayton are dedicated to providing quality nutritious meals that students will enjoy and choose to eat. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Chartwells Food Service Director Dan Kruger at 314-854-6640.

Recess Before Lunch and Missouri’s Eat Smart Guidelines

One of the many positive changes that came out of the 2010 Food Service Program Evaluation has nothing to do with what’s being served in Clayton’s school cafeterias. In May 2010, Clayton's elementary schools piloted a “Recess Before Lunch” program, moving recess before lunch instead of after lunch. That change has remained intact since 2010. Scheduling recess before lunch at Clayton’s elementary schools was one of the final steps the District needed to take to meet the “Exemplary Level” of Missouri’s Eat Smart Guidelines.

In addition to helping the District hit its goal with respect to the Eat Smart Guidelines, there is solid research that supports that “Recess Before Lunch” is beneficial for students as they are not rushing through their balanced meal in order to get to the playground. Studies show that students:

• Waste less food.
• Consume more of their lunch.
• Behave better on the playground, in the cafeteria and in the classroom.
• Eat at a more leisurely pace.
• Are more ready to learn upon returning to the classroom immediately after lunch so less instructional time is lost.
• Perform better in the classroom because of increased nutrient intake and focused attention.