July 28, 2025—School starts August 4, and Cobb's cafeterias are preparing to welcome students with their favorite meals, fresh produce, and nutritious choices—served up daily by our award-winning Food & Nutrition Services team. 

"I hope it's nacho day!" If that sounds familiar, you're not alone—Cobb's menus are full of flavorful, nutritious meals students get excited about. (Shh... don't tell your kids, but those crave-worthy nachos are made with whole corn, low-sodium chips, 100% beef with no fillers, and a cheesy queso that's both low fat and low sodium—and school staff love them too.) 

Cobb fuels student success with a combined 78,000 lunches and breakfasts daily. Here's your checklist to make sure your student is ready for lunch on day one—and every day after.

1. Check out what's on the menu.

The breakfast and lunch menus for the first semester are available on the Food & Nutrition website. Menus are subject to substitutions based on availability, but the intent is to serve the posted menu daily at every school. When changes are necessary, the school nutrition team members will attempt to substitute the scheduled menu item with another that is as similar as possible. 

Every day, students will be able to choose from the following: 

• 4 Entrée options 
• At least 2 Milk options 
• 3 Fruit side options 
• 2 Vegetable side options 

2. Review the meal costs.

School meals are a great value and a huge convenience for busy families. Many schools offer great à la carte items, which are not reflected in the meal prices above. These include bottled water, 100% juice, baked snack items, ice cream, and protein-rich snacks.

3. Pay for meals in advance. 

To save time when coming through the serving line, you can add funds to your cafeteria account with a major credit card at MySchoolBucks.com or via the MySchoolBucks IOS or Android app. 

• To set up a MySchoolBucks account, you will need each child's CCSD Student ID number (or your EID if a CCSD employee). The student ID can be obtained by contacting your child's local school.
• 📲 Registering with MySchoolBucks gives you access to: 
  • View your student's account balance 
  • See purchase and payment history 
  • Get email alerts when the balance is low
  • 💡 No prepayment is required to use these features!  
• Parents can also add funds to their student's account using cash or check. 
• For more details, visit the Food and Nutrition Services webpage. 

4. Apply for Free or Reduced-Priced Meal Benefits. 

• Families eligible for free or reduced-price meals at any non-CEP school must complete an application to receive them; all other students must pay full price for their meals. (Read below to learn more about Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).) 
• Families needing assistance should complete the application on the MySchoolApps - Getting Started website. We encourage families to email meals@cobbk12.org or call 770-426-3380 with questions. A Food and Nutrition Services team member will be happy to help you. 
• Families must pay for school meals until their application is processed and approved. 
• Depending on the current federal eligibility guidelines, families that apply and are eligible could receive breakfast and lunch for free or at a reduced price. 
• Eligible families at non-CEP schools can also use their notification letter as proof of eligibility for the meal program for discounts on testing, services, camps, and various application fees. 

5. Community Eligibility Provision continues at 36 of Cobb's schools.

• Cobb has 36 schools participating in the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Families with students at the schools listed below do NOT need to complete a family meal application. 
• The following schools will participate in CEP and provide breakfast and lunch meals at no charge to enrolled students. 
  • Please note: If your child(ren) does not attend one of these 36 schools and you believe you are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, please complete an online application at MySchoolApps - Getting Started.

6. Review the District charge policy. 

• Cobb County school administration has adopted a limited charge policy. If a student arrives at a non-CEP school without money, they are allowed up to $11.25 in charges at elementary school, $7.50 at middle school, and $3.75 at high school. Charges are not permitted for à la carte items or adults. For students who have reached the charge limit, an alternate meal (such as a peanut butter sandwich and milk or a cheese sandwich and milk) will be provided. No alternate meal will be provided at breakfast. 
• If you think you may qualify for free or reduced-price meals, please complete the Online Family Meal Application as soon as possible. 

7. Learn how the Food and Nutrition team supports students with allergies and special nutrition needs. 

• In accordance with USDA regulations, School Food Authorities (SFAs) must ensure children with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). SFAs are to make reasonable modifications to accommodate children with disabilities. This includes providing special meals, at no extra charge, to children with disabilities that restrict their diet. To learn more, visit the Allergy and Special Nutrition Needs webpage. 
• Support your student's dietary needs at school using some of these meal lists from Cobb's Food & Nutrition team. 
  • Managing a Gluten-Free Diet at School 
  • Managing a Vegan Diet at School 
  • Managing a Vegetarian Diet at School 

8. Get help with birthday and classroom celebrations. 

• The Food and Nutrition team can help you host a celebration in your student's classroom. 
• Contact your school's café manager to discuss how the Food and Nutrition Services team can serve your birthday, classroom parties, or holiday needs. 
• Learn more on the Classroom Celebrations webpage. 

9. Review the Food and Nutrition facts: 

• Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition Services has an average health inspection score of 99%. 
• Cobb County students can find healthy choices in their cafeterias every school day, made with name-brand products that you use at home. 
• School meals meet federal nutrition standards, ensuring students can choose from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat or fat-free milk. Meals also meet limits on calories, trans-fat, and sodium. The FNS team works hard to make these nutritious choices delicious and appealing to Cobb students. 
• Cobb's school nutrition team is committed to ensuring students have access to healthy meals each school day. 

10. Got more questions? Contact the Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition Services team. 

• Email the Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition team: Meals@cobbk12.org
• Call 770-426-3380.