Scarsdale families will keep paying for school lunch next year after the district declined to join New York State's Universal Free Meals program.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Andrew Lennon told the Scarsdale Board of Education at its Oct. 26 meeting that the district decided to maintain its current lunch program for 2026-27 due to financial concerns, according to Scarsdale10583.com.

The existing program lost money last year, and officials worry that switching to the state initiative could increase those losses.

The district has extended its contract with food service provider Chartwells K-12 and will continue reviewing meal quality, affordability and possible future participation in the program.

A committee's recommendation

The decision follows months of work by the district's Food Service Committee, which surveyed parents and studied the feasibility of joining the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Lennon reviewed the committee's findings at the Oct. 26 meeting, according to the district's board meeting highlights.

The committee recommended against joining. In a July report on the committee's work, Scarsdale10583.com reported that 60% of surveyed parents were not happy with the current lunch program but did not believe the state's free meal program was the answer.

To qualify, the district would have to follow strict federal guidelines limiting ingredients, portion sizes and meal flexibility. The committee determined those restrictions would make students less likely to eat school-provided lunches, not more.

The committee also found that participating would prevent elementary schools from holding special lunch events such as Pizza Days. And the survey showed cost was not a top concern for parents, who said they were willing to pay for healthy, palatable meals.

Statewide program growing

New York launched Universal Free Meals in the 2025-26 school year under a law requiring school food authorities already in the federal meal program to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost. The state reimburses districts for the difference between federal payments and the cost of each meal. Districts not already enrolled in the federal program, like Scarsdale, must apply separately to participate.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said 396 million free school meals were served statewide during 2025-26, saving families an estimated $450 million in grocery costs, according to WHEC. The state budgeted $395 million for the program in fiscal year 2026-27.

As of May 2026, more than 1.9 million students in New York were participating in the school lunch program, according to a report from the state comptroller's office.

What's next

Lennon said the Food Service Committee would meet again to discuss further plans for the school year. The board's next business meeting is scheduled for Nov. 16, following a joint meeting with Village trustees and a public forum on the 2027-28 school budget.