National School Lunch Program

5:24 PM
Salad, bean, and greek yogurt dip
with whole-wheat pita chips

More than just a lunch application…..

School lunches definitely aren’t what they used to be. As a matter of fact, they’re better than ever! At the Perris Union High School District (PUHSD), we serve up fresh chef and chicken salads, yogurt parfaits with granola, wrapped sandwiches on flatbread, and Asian chicken dishes such as teriyaki and kung pao edamame over brown rice or chow mein noodles. PUHSD students have a wide variety of delicious and nutritious breakfast and lunch choices and we are continually working on developing new offerings to keep our students coming back for more. 

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) applications serve several purposes; the first of which is making sure that our students are provided a nutritious lunch and breakfast daily to give them the fuel they need for optimum learning. For the parents, participation in the NSLP offers a convenient and cost-effective method of providing a balanced lunch and breakfast for your children. Participation also helps our district qualify for e-rate monies which support technology, Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) that helps support our schools and students and reduced costs for Advanced Placement Tests. When you fill out the NSLP application and return it to us, we all win. Your participation is very important.

Facts and Figures




  • 5 billion lunches are served annually in the National School Lunch Program. That is more than 31.5 million children that are served each day.
  • 11.5 million breakfasts are served annually in the National School Breakfast Program.
  • About 60 percent of children enrolled in U.S. schools participate in the National School Lunch Program.
  • More than 900,000 school lunches were served last year in the PUHSD National School Lunch Program. That is almost 5,000 lunches served daily to our students.
  • More than 440,000 school breakfasts were served last year in the PUHSD National School Breakfast Program. That is more than 2,400 children that are served breakfast each day.
  • A student will eat approximately 4,000 meals while in grades K-12.

    •  Source: http://www.ecoliteracy.org/download/rethinking-school-lunch-guide

    Strawberries, blueberries
    yogurt parfait with granola
    Studies have shown that students whose nutritional needs are met have fewer attendance and discipline problems and their ability to learn is enhanced as well. A good breakfast to start the day and a nutritious lunch is a positive step in helping support your students through their school day.

    Our Summer Feeding Program offers a free breakfast and lunch to every student that attends summer school. If students don’t attend summer school, Nutrition Services offers a free lunch to all children from the ages of 2 to 18. These meals are provided at a kiosk outside every school site that offers summer school.

    The Application Process

    The NSLP application process begins on July 1st each school year. We start by mailing applications home to each parent/student reminding them that it is time to complete a lunch application for the new school year. A new application must be submitted each school year for your household. You do not need to complete an application for each child. There are two ways to complete your application:

    Apply online at https://mealapps.puhsd.org/fma or visit our district web site at www.puhsd.org and click on the link to Rocket Scan at the bottom of the page. Once on the website, follow the step-by-step directions to complete the application and submit your electronic signature.


    If you are more comfortable with the paper application, you can obtain one from any school site, district office, or call us and we are happy to mail one to you. You must return your completed and signed application to us for processing as soon as possible. You may return it to the PUHSD office or your child’s school.

    If you have any questions or need assistance completing your application, please contact the Nutrition Services Department at: 951-943-6369 ext. 80240 or email juanita.nava@puhsd.org or veronica.rangel@puhsd.org 

    We want you to know…


    We have a dedicated staff that wants what’s best for “our” students. Each day they work to provide nutritious meals for our students. You’d be surprised at how many students know the names of the Nutrition Services staff at their schools and the staff looks forward to seeing your child each day. It is our goal to accommodate each and every student and provide them with a nutritious meal served with a smile. 

    We want to thank you for supporting our program and we encourage you to complete a lunch application as soon as possible. Completing the NSLP application is one way to continue to support our schools and our children. 

    If you have any questions or comments please contact Kim Marksbury, Director of Nutrition Services at kim.marksbury@puhsd.org