U-46 will again offer breakfast and lunch meals at no cost to all students at all U-46 schools. Although meal applications will not be required for the 2025-2026 school year, we recommend families complete the Fee Waiver Form, which can apply to athletic fees, driver’s education and more. 2025-2026 Fee Waiver Request Form  (Versión en español aquí.) Please know that students are still allowed to bring lunch from home. The lunch provided for students at no cost is completely optional. For additional information on student fees please visit the Fee Waiver FAQ SY2025-26  or U-46 Registration Page.

*Parking permits, yearbook, and certain activity fees are not covered under fee waivers

The District is providing breakfast for all students as research supports that a child who starts the day with breakfast is more likely to be at school, a better learner, and willing to participate in the classroom. We encourage students to arrive at school in time to have breakfast before the start of school. Students who arrive after the bell will be offered a Grab & Go breakfast. 

While meals are provided at no cost to families, individual milk cartons must be purchased when not consumed as part of a complete school breakfast or lunch meal provided through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program by the District’s Food and Nutrition Services Department. 

The cost of individual milk is $.50 and must be purchased through the student’s MySchoolBuck account as cash is not accepted.

In order to help maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students, and provide an ongoing clean and efficient school environment, we encourage students not to eat in the classroom. We provide time before the start of the school day for students to eat breakfast, and later in the day, a lunch break. Breakfast and lunch take place in the school’s lunchroom allowing us to ensure proper food distribution and sanitation.

The USDA requires that “smart snacks” are the only snacks provided to students during the USDA-defined school day hours, which are from midnight to 30 minutes after the end of the school day. The smart snack requirement does not apply to lunches brought from home. Vending machines, snack bars, and a la carte items available to high school students include only smart snacks. Use the online smart snack calculator for snacks at home. 

Fundraising efforts taking place after the USDA-defined school day hours are not restricted to Smart Snacks Standards. 

WANT A LA CARTE ITEMS? ADD MONEY TO STUDENT'S MYSCHOOLBUCKS ACCOUNT.

This school year (2025-2026) students will be able to purchase items a la carte, such as milk.  To do so, they need to have money loaded onto their MySchoolBuck account.  No cash will be accepted. 

Register and add money to your student's account at MySchoolBucks.com

In addition to the meals U-46 provides students, our area has a number of organizations that provide free food and meals. Information about those opportunities can be found through these sites: 

The Find Food IL map, maintained by the University of Illinois Extension, helps residents find places in their communities offering free food or meals, stores and markets that accept food assistance, and more opportunities to help families stretch their household food budget.

The Northern Illinois Food Bank features the ability to search for food pantries and soup kitchens, and it also has a calendar for its “Mobile Markets,” which are drive-through events during which food is distributed.  (Note that the website can be changed to many different languages by clicking on the accessibility link in the upper right hand corner, and clicking on the sixth button from left.)  

Feeding Illinois offers the ability to search for food pantries and other free food assistance programs. It also provides links to other types of assistance, such as with housing and utility bills.  

The Illinois Department of Human Services’ Food Connections website lists food banks and other providers of free food or meals. 

The Kane County Health Department lists community organizations that provide food under the Food Resources & Nutrition tab on this page