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Due to extreme heat and concern about bus temperatures, The Garrison School will dismiss early at 12:30 PM on Mon, June 23. We will not have lunch periods; please send a snack. Bring water & stay hydrated. 8th grade graduation is unaffected.

17 hours ago

Important Update on the Garrison School Lunch Program for 2025–2026

Posted Date: 6/13/25 (1:36 PM)
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Dear Garrison School Community,


We want to provide you with an important update on our efforts to launch a school lunch program for the 2025–2026 school year.


As shared during our June 4, 2025, Board of Education meeting, we had been working with the Hendrick Hudson School District to have their high school provide lunches for our students. This partnership was promising, as their high school was not part of the Federal School Lunch Program, allowing for greater flexibility in the types of meals we could offer here in Garrison.


However, following the recent passage of New York State Education Law Section 915-a—which establishes Universal Free School Meals for all students beginning in the 2025–2026 school year—Hendrick Hudson High School will now be required to participate in the National School Lunch Program. Additionally, their Food Service Director is retiring, and much of their high school cafeteria staff will not be returning. Due to these two significant changes, Hendrick Hudson is no longer able to support our lunch program for the upcoming school year.


We are now in the early stages of discussions with another school district that participates in the National School Lunch Program. If we move forward with this partnership, it would mean:

  • All students at Garrison School would receive free lunch every day, regardless of family income.

  • We would be required to serve school lunch five days a week.

  • Our traditional 8th-grade Pizza Friday fundraiser would no longer be permitted under federal guidelines.  An alternative fundraising activity would need to be selected.

  • There may or may not be an increase in the cost to the district to subsidize the program.


Despite these changes, we are continuing to explore the potential to provide federally compliant meals to all students. Sample menu items from a Federal School Lunch Program compliant meal could include:

  • Chicken Bowl with Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, and Corn

  • Chicken Parmesan Flatbread

  • Nacho Bar

  • Two-Cheese or Veggie Bean Quesadilla

All meals will be served with fruit and/or vegetables, as well as low-fat milk. Accommodations can be made for dietary restrictions.


At this time, we do not yet have a firm commitment from our potential partner district. If an agreement is reached, Garrison would apply to become a Recipient Agency (RA) under the partner district’s School Food Authority (SFA). The Board of Education will discuss this topic further at the June 18, 2025, Board Meeting (7:00 PM) to make a final determination. Please note that we must file to become an RA by July 31, 2025, so this decision will need to be made soon.


To help us better understand the needs and preferences of our families, we are including a link to a brief survey in this message. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey by June 18th at 11:00 a.m. to let us know whether your child is likely to participate in the Federal and State-supported school lunch program at no cost to you, and how frequently they would participate. This information will help our potential partner district estimate the volume of meals they would need to prepare and the level of Federal and State reimbursement they might receive.


👉 Survey Link Here


We highly encourage all families and community members to attend the Board of Education meeting on June 18, 2025, where we will be discussing the potential school lunch program in greater detail. Your input is valuable as we work to make the best decision for our students and school community.


Thank you for your continued feedback and support.


Warm regards,



Dr. Greg Stowell

Superintendent of Schools

Garrison UFSD



[Tuesday, Jun 17 at 11:03 AM]
Dear Garrison School Community,

As a friendly reminder, please complete the school lunch survey if you haven't already done so. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey by June 18th at 11:00 a.m. to let us know whether your child is likely to participate in the Federal and State-supported school lunch program at no cost to you, and how frequently they would participate. This information will help our potential partner district estimate the volume of meals they would need to prepare and the level of Federal and State reimbursement they might receive.

Thank you for your continued feedback and support of GUFS!