Contact Information:
550 S. Sylvester Avenue
Center, CO 81125
Phone: 719-754-3442
Fax: 719-754-3952

Dianna Valenuzela, Director
Email Dianna Valenzuela

Breakfast & Lunch Menus

Public Release 2022-2023: Community Eligibility Provision (Free Lunch/Breakfast Program)

About our Program

It is a well-known fact that hungry students cannot learn! The better nourished student has better attendance, is more attentive, has less discipline problems, and has more energy to participate in school day activities. What better reason could there be to have your child participate in our National School breakfast and lunch program. Nutritious, well-balanced meals are offered every school day in all of our schools.

Our Staff

Center Schools Food Service employees have been well trained in sanitation and safety, quantity food preparation, menu planning, meal requirements, record keeping, personnel management, merchandising, and other related areas.

Meal Requirements

School breakfast provides a serving of fruit, milk, and either, 2 servings of bread, or 1 serving of a meat and bread. School Lunch provides a serving of meat, fruit, vegetables, bread, and milk. Portion sizes are varied by age and grade group to assure the nutritional needs of students are met.

Offer vs. Serve

The Center School District’s cafeteria operate under the provision called “offer vs. serve,” which is mandated in high school and recommended for others. This means that students are offered a variety of menus and foods to choose from within a menu, rather than serving them all five menu components with no choice. The rationale for this provision is that students will select and consume the foods they like, which is preferable to serving foods they do not like and will just throw away. Students are offered and encouraged to eat all five components from the menu but if they do not want the full meal, they must select at least three of the five components. Offer vs. Serve is practiced during the breakfast meal also, and students may select three of the four food components offered.

Summer Food Service Program

Good nutrition is essential for the effective learning every day, all year long. Just as learning does not end when school lets out, neither does the need for good nutrition. Children who aren’t hungry learn better, act better and feel better. Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) helps children get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school. In the Center School District we have an open-site (SFSP). This is free to all kids ages 1-18. For more information on the Summer Food Service program contact Dianna Valenzuela at 719-754-2846.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.ascr.usda.gov/ad-3027-usda-program-discrimination-complaint-form, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (566) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
Email:  program.intake@usda.gov