• Most of the food is purchased from commercial suppliers in the same manner as any restaurant. Only about 20 cents per student meal is government donated food.
• School Way Café receives government reimbursement for each free and reduced priced meal served, and a small reimbursement for full priced paying students to help offset the cost of the lunch.  For the meals to be eligible for reimbursement, they must meet strict nutritional standards.
• School Way Café does not receive any donated foods or cash reimbursement for adult customers. This is why we must charge adults more for the same meal served to students.
• School Way Café is a non-profit, self supporting organization. We receive no local tax dollars and must recoup the actual cost of preparing all meals and a la carte items. These costs are food, labor, supplies and equipment costs, including delivery trucks.

Menus & Pricing

School Meal Charge Procedure

While the USDA Child Nutrition Program does not require that students who pay full-price and reduced-price for school meals be served a meal without payment, Volusia County Schools (VCS) has established this procedure as a courtesy. 

Procedure:

Students that do not have cash in-hand or funds in his/her meal account to pay for a meal, will receive five (5) school meals.  The account will be charged at the normal meal price based on student eligibility.  The cost of each meal will be debited from the student’s account, placing the account into a negative balance.  After the five (5) school meals, student will be offered an alternate meal.  Students will receive a sandwich and a juice, and their meal account will be charged $0.40. 

Parent/Guardians are responsible for all meal payments to the school.  Notices of balance deficiencies are sent by Volusia Connect calls daily plus parents/guardians receive negative balance letters. 

Families are encouraged to apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits for their child by visiting: https://www.vcsedu.org/schoolwaycafe/free-and-reduced-meal-applications (other benefits of free and reduced lunch are: vouchers for testing (SAT/ACT), scholarships & more) 

DeLand High's Student Wellness Plan