School Food

Feed McAllen ISD Students Real Food

We’re asking McAllen ISD to eliminate added sugar from breakfast, limit fried and ultra-processed foods, and guarantee fresh produce at every meal — by the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

Currently, McAllen ISD school meals rely heavily on calorie-dense, high-sugar, refined starch, and highly processed products. Diets built around these types of foods are strongly associated with increased risk of chronic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other long-term health problems.

This is the February 2026 district-wide elementary school menu.

We have highlighted in blue the items that most reasonable people would classify as junk food, fast food, or highly processed convenience food.

Based on a straightforward review of the menu, many of these items resemble packaged retail snacks or quick-service restaurant foods more than scratch-prepared school meals.

Now ask yourself:
Would you choose to serve your child these types of foods every single day?
Would you consider them appropriate staples or occasional treats?

Processed Meats

Currently, all of McAllen ISD’s meat-based products that are served to children every day arrive from manufacturers fully-cooked and frozen. These highly-processed forms of meat have been linked to chronic disease and have been classified as carcinogenic by health organizations worldwide.

Snack Bars

Federal and state rules allow schools to sell snacks to students through school snack bars. These items must meet the USDA’s “Smart Snacks” standards. However, the rules are not very strict and still allow foods like chips, ice cream, slushes, and cookies to be sold.

The only item is not highly-processed at McAllen ISD snack bars is water.

Child Nutrition Information

Much of this information obtained by fellow parents directly from the school district via a Public Information Request, direct communication, or from the Child Nurtrition Program’s website.

Nutrition Labels

Invoices, Inventory, and Distribution Information

Price List of Processed Products

School Food Federal and State Rules and Regulations

About Open Records Requests

If there are specific documents or other information that already exist that you would like, request them! Under the Texas Public Information Act, McAllen ISD is required to respond to your request.

Things to Remember

Do not phrase your request as a question.
The district will not do legal research for you.
You must request information that already exists, such as reports, menus, nutritional data, contracts, and vendor records.
You cannot request that information be provided regularly. Each request is a one-time request.
The district must respond promptly. If it cannot produce the information within 10 business days, it must notify you in writing of the date it will be available.
If the district believes certain information may be confidential, it must request an Attorney General opinion and notify you within 10 business days of receiving your request. If it fails to do so, the information is presumed to be public.
There may be a charge for copies. Requests resulting in more than 50 pages may be assessed charges for labor, overhead, and materials. If estimated charges will exceed $40, the district must send you a written itemized statement before beginning work, giving you the opportunity to modify your request. You can also ask the district to waive or reduce fees if the information primarily benefits the general public.

Request Template

I kindly request access to and copies of the following public records maintained by the McAllen ISD Child Nutrition Program (CNP) department:

[Describe the specific documents or data you are requesting. Be as precise as possible — include date ranges, department names, or document types where relevant.]

Time Period Covered: [Specify the time period for which the requested records should cover]

Preferred Format: I respectfully request that responsive records be provided in electronic format (Excel, preferrably) via email where possible. If any records exist only in paper form, I request copies be mailed to the address below.

Fee Waiver Request: I request a waiver of any applicable fees associated with producing these records, as this request is made in the public interest to promote transparency in the use of federal nutrition program funds. If fees cannot be waived and are expected to exceed $40.00, please notify me in advance with an itemized estimate before proceeding.

Please acknowledge receipt of this request and advise of the expected response timeline in accordance with applicable law. If any portion of this request is denied, I respectfully ask that you identify the specific legal basis for each denial and provide access to any non-exempt portions of the requested records.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

The Budget

McAllen ISD’s Child Nutrition Services Department receives $24,298,657 to feed nearly 20,000 children. Of that, $12,986,439 is dedicated to non-staff-related expenses, like food and supplies.