Welcome to Katy ISD Nutrition and Food Services!

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Apply for Free and Reduced Meals:

To determine eligibility for free or reduced price meals for the 2026-2027 school year, families with students who do not attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) campus will need to complete a Meal Benefits/Free & Reduced meals application. Meal Benefit applications are accepted throughout the school year for the 2026-2027 school year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child Nutrition Programs Income Eligibility Guidelines can be found here.      

Please note that students who are attending an USDA designated Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) campus during the 2026-2027 school year will continue to receive free meals and are not required to complete a Meal Benefits application.  More information about the USDA CEP program and eligible  Katy ISD Campuses can be found here.      

What Makes a Meal?

The federal Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 requires students paying the set meal price to take menu components that meet the meal pattern. The meal pattern consists of FIVE components: meat/meat alternate, grain, fruit, vegetable and milk.

If the minimum number of required components for each meal are not chosen by the student, a la carte prices will be charged for selected items.

Breakfast:

• Must choose at least three of the four offered items to make a meal.
• Must choose one fruit or a juice as one of the items to receive the meal price.

Lunch:

• Must choose at least three of the five offered components to make a meal.
• Must choose at least a half cup of fruit or vegetable to receive the meal price.

A la Carte:

• Extra portions and/or extra sides of the planned menu items, or snacks such as chips, ice cream, cookies, beverages, etc. are all charged a la carte prices and are not included in the meal.
  • For example, if a student gets a meal with a chicken sandwich, sweet potato fries, an apple, and milk, but wants an extra chicken sandwich, that second chicken sandwich is not considered part of the meal and will be charged as an a la carte entrée at $3.50. 
• Additional a la carte pricing can be found here.
• A la carte purchases may be restircted to a specific amount.  You may set purchase restrictions for a la carte items on the student's account in SchoolCafe. 
• Restrictions on meal purchases in the cafeteria are not accepted.   

Charge Policy (Non-CEP Schools only)

District charge policy allows students without meal money to receive the meal choice which will be charged to the student's cafeteria account with the expectation the parent will pay for all meals charged. 

Elementary: The elementary charge policy allows for the value of 5 breakfast meals and 5 lunch meals to be charged. When the charge limit is reached, the elementary student will receive a milk for breakfast or a milk and cereal for lunch. (Max value- Paid -$21.25) 
Secondary: The secondary charge policy allows for the value of 5 breakfast meals and 5 lunch meals to be charged. When the charge limit is reached, the secondary student will be declined. (Max Value- Paid -$23.75)

*Students cannot charge for a la carte purchases and must have cash for purchase if the cafeteria account is negative. 

SchoolCafe: Setting up an account is easy! 

Fill out a Meal Application, access student purchase history, view school menus, set-up a la carte purchase restrictions, and MORE!  Here is an easy step-by-step GUIDE to help set up an account for your student.

Has your family experienced a change in economic status?
You may qualify for meal benefits!  Click Meal Applications to apply today.

Cafeteria & Meal Payment Information:

• Payment for meals and cafeteria purchases is encouraged to be cashless through the  Pay N' Go App. 

• Cash and checks for meal payment are accepted.  Cash change may be deposited on the student’s account.   

• Students’ cafeteria account balances from the previous school year roll forward to the current school year.

Regarding Student Meal Account Balances

Students returning in August to Katy ISD will have their current cafeteria balance roll forward to next school year.

Online Payments for Cafeteria Balance:
Katy ISD offers Pay N' Go as your one-stop shop for making payments online!

- Pay Cafeteria Balances, Student Course Fees, Transfer Fees and more!
- No Processing/Transaction Fees!     

We are also offering an improved cafeteria system SchoolCafe!  

- Apply for Meal Benefits 
- Print your Eligibility Notification Letter
- View Purchase History
- Set Purchase Preferences (a la carte options only)
- View Menus
- View Nutritional Information including Allergens
- Build a Tray to make a complete meal 

Mission Statement

The Nutrition and Food Service Department of the Katy Independent School District promotes healthy eating by providing nutritious meals to the students, teachers, staff & visiting patrons of the district.

The Nutrition and Food Service Department is here to help Katy ISD students have a successful year.  Please contact us if you need any assistance.

 Free/Reduced Application

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Discover Farm Fresh!

Each October, the Texas Department of Agriculture challenges Child Nutrition Program operators to "Eat Local" by serving local foods for meals, "Teach Local" by including agriculture and nutrition education in classrooms or special events, and "Be Social" by sharing their efforts on social media.

We are happy to announce that the Katy ISD Nutrition and Food Service Department achieved the highest tier, the "Cream of the Crop" award, for October 2025! 

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 JOIN THE KATY ISD

SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL (SHAC)!

For more information: Click Here
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