MySchoolBucks (Lunch Payment System)

PfISD uses MySchoolBucks as its payment processing system for school lunches. This is a preferred system used by many school districts in our area, and is one of the largest providers of this type of payment system.

Any parent or guardian can place funds on their child’s account via MySchoolBucks. The $2.75 surcharge by the vendor is per transaction, whether you put $5 on a student’s account or $5,000. We have tried negotiating surcharges for MySchoolBucks in the past but have yet to be able to reduce their fees.

To enroll in My SchoolBucks and pay for lunch meals online:

1. Go to www.MySchoolBucks.com and register for a free account.
2. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to activate your account.
3. Add your students using their school name and student ID (Just the number, no “s” needed before the numbers).
4. Make a payment to your student’s accounts with your credit/debit card (there is a $2.75 charge per transaction) or echeck.

A program fee may apply. You will have the opportunity to review any fees and cancel if you choose before you are charged.

If you have any questions, contact MySchoolBucks directly:

• 1-855-832-5226
• Visit myschoolbucks.com and click on Help/FAQ’s

Parents can also pay for their child’s lunches via check or cash. Checks can be made out to Pflugerville ISD. Payment can be sent with a student to give to cafeteria workers, parents may bring the deposit to the school cafeteria, or they can deliver it to the Aramark office (Pflugerville IS Food and Child Nutrition Services Office, 1401C W. Pecan St., Pflugerville, TX 78660)

Board Agenda Item

Food service funds can only be spent on food service-related items. Costs can include the percentage of square feet of a campus used for food services (kitchen, servery, dining room) applied to utilities; cafeteria FFE including tables; and kitchen equipment.

The items on the board agenda reflect food service items needed to sustain the program. Many items are original pieces of equipment at respective schools for which the district and Aramark are diligent in maintaining. They are replaced as they are obsolete, have obsolete or costly parts, or are a safety concern. Without a food service fund, these would be paid for by general fund.

Limiting A La Carte items

Parents have always had the ability to limit their child’s account and choices. There are instructions on the district’s website under Food Services, or you can complete this form and email it to denise.meserole@pfisd.net

A La Carte Item Prices

Regarding the pricing of a la carte items, PfISD prices are already significantly lower in comparison to a local drive-thru coffee shop; PfISD found the following-

• PfISD Otis Spunkmeyer muffins ($1.55) vs. coffee shop “muffin top” ($4.55)
• PfISD 12 oz coffee (when sold) ($1.95) vs. coffee shop ($3.10)
• PfISD 12 oz latte (when sold) ($3.25) vs. coffee shop ($5.45)
• PfISD Large cookie ($1.25) vs. coffee shop ($3.95)
• *To note- USDA requires specific sizes and nutrients deemed healthy via SMART SNACK initiatives.

Regarding the contract with Aramark

• Aramark purchases all the food and staffs the labor at their cost.
• Aramark can only take annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) for each annual renewal of a five-year contract. In the last three years, the timing and the rate of CPI versus actual inflation have not been equivalent. CPI has not kept up with the cost of food/ inflation.
• If food cost or labor wage leveling occurs, Aramark incurs that, not PfISD.

Aramark absorbs the cost of a replaced meal. A replaced entrée is the price of two entrees (the discarded one and the sandwich).

Source: PfISD (2023, May 5). Weekly Parent/Guardian Update. PfISD Pfamily Pflyer. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://www.smore.com/auq4g)