Meal Access for In-School Suspension Students

All students, including in-school suspension (ISS) students, must have equal access to food service (all lines and meal types) if they are allowed to go to the cafeteria to receive meals during regular meal periods. If ISS students are allowed access to the cafeteria, either before or after regular serving times, they may be limited to only one reimbursable line or meal type. In such a situation, the ISS students would have to be able to receive and consume their meals prior to, or after, the regular meal periods for other students. Please see the Q and A below for more information:

Question: Can ISS students be required to bring a lunch from home?

Answer: If the school participates in the National School Lunch Program, students may not be required to bring a lunch. If the campus housing the ISS does not have food service available, the School Food Authority (SFA) is not required to provide meals.

Question: Can an SFA provide ISS students a lunch that is different than the meal served to students in the cafeteria?

Answer: Yes, ISS students can be served a different meal. The meal served must be a reimbursable meal and the ISS student must be allowed to choose from a selection of milk with different fat contents.

For More Information Contact:

Educator Initiatives and Performance
512/463-3070
daep@tea.texas.gov