Nutrition News
August 1st, 2025
Dear Parents, Students, Caregivers,
The beginning of the school year is approaching, and we would like to extend a warm welcome back to school. Our goal is to serve nutritious, well-balanced meals that appeal to students and to the school community while continuing our safe food handling practices that we always have.
The Nutrition Services takes the health and safety of our Nutrition Service team, students and staff very seriously and will take the necessary steps to help protect the health and well-being of our students and staff. We will address Training and Reinforcement of our Standard Operating Procedures on kitchen cleanliness and sanitation while ensuring that all students have access to delicious, healthy, seasonal meals in order to grow their bodies, minds and futures while also continuing our high standards of food quality.
I want to encourage you and your children to participate in the school lunch program. One of the most important things you can do for your children’s education and well-being is ensure they are well fed both at home and in school. Allowing and encouraging your children to eat school lunch not only helps assure their health and academic ability, but it also supports the Nutrition Service Department and, hence, the entire school district. The program's viability is directly related to how many meals are purchased.
We truly make the health and well-being of all Aspen School District students our main priority. We cook fresh whole foods for all of the students every day. We hope you will join us in helping your children make healthy food choices in school and at home. Together we can help raise a new generation of healthier and better educated young people. Once again, I am excited to be fueling your children’s needs and look forward to introducing new foods and tastes to your children’s palates.
Tenille Folk, Director of Nutrition Services
Our Mission
The Aspen School District Nutrition Services is a district funded program not part of the State or Federal lunch programs. The goal of the department is to ensure that all students have access to delicious, healthy, seasonal meals in order to grow their bodies, minds, and futures. All meals are made from locally grown, sustainable ingredients to the greatest extent possible while respecting the Districts Strategic Plan to be Stewards of Resources. We also want all students to understand the relationship between food, health, nutrition, cultures, environment, and business; the relationship children have with food will evolve into a circle benefiting not just themselves, but society as a whole.
Elementary Lunch Menu
Middle School Lunch Menu
High School Lunch Menu
Why Breakfast
What's For Breakfast
● AES Breakfast Special is $3.50. (ASP Reduce $1.50)
● AMS Breakfast Special is $4.50. (ASP Reduce $2.00)
● AHS Breakfast Special is $5.50. (ASP Reduce $2.50)
● Breakfast Special includes 3 pre-set balanced items per day on a weekly rolling menu.
As parents and students it is your responsibility to have conversations with your child regarding their
participation in the program. Breakfast will be charged through the Districts POS system.
Community Baskets
The Community Breakfast Baskets IS for any students that need breakfast or a snack before school. There is a limited supply each day.
Items are free.
We are asking that all outstanding lunch balances be paid promptly to support our programs' finances. Funding lunch accounts can be paid through e~Funds:
Here are a few helpful hints to get started:
You will need your child's lunch/student ID number to make a payment.
You can still make payments at the main office during registration days, or at any lunch room cashier but setting up an account and paying in advance will save time and give you an opportunity to see a breakdown of your fees in advance.
Click HERE for information on how to set up an e~Funds account
Click HERE for the e~Funds payment website
How to Check your Student lunch account transactions
You can still make payments directly to a Food Service Cashier at any school cafeteria with cash or check, but setting up an account and paying in advance will save time and give you an opportunity to see a breakdown of your lunch activity in advance. I would like to encourage parents and caregivers to have conversations with your student/s regarding you and your families lunch and a la carte participation. As a school requirement we can not deny a student taking a hot lunch, note that any hot lunch taken by your student/s will be charged to their account.
The Aspen School District Nutrition Services Department is a district funded program not part of the State or Federal lunch programs.
FREE & REDUCED BREAKFAST & LUNCH
We know that many families rely on schools for meals. We encourage families to submit a Free & Reduced Meal application, which provides families with access to additional benefits as well. Please know that even if you qualified in previous years, an application must be submitted every school year. APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY OCTOBER 1st with proof of income. To access the application and instructions for English and Spanish click the following link (https://app.droplet.io/form/Nwdd2K)
More information can be found here.
Contact Information
Tenille Folk - Nutrition Services Director
235 High School Road | Aspen, Colorado 81611
p: ext.1101
e: tfolk@aspenk12.net | www.aspenk12.net
Lindy Morton - High School Kitchen Manager
235 High School Road | Aspen, Colorado 81611
p: ext.1110
e: lmorton@aspenk12.net | www.aspenk12.net
Marie ‘Apple’ Azarcon - Middle School Kitchen Manager
235 High School Road | Aspen, Colorado 81611
p: ext.2144
e: mazarcon@aspenk12.net | www.aspenk12.net
Elizabeth Ford - Elementary School Kitchen Manager
235 High School Road | Aspen, Colorado 81611
p: ext.3013
AES Starting the 2025-2026 school year with new lunch trays!
Thank you, City of Aspen, for your wonderful donation of new lunch trays in the Elementary School! Your continued partnership is truly appreciated. They will greatly benefit our pre-school and elementary students while supporting our sustainability practices.
Shifting the Focus from Food to Fun!
At Aspen School District we work hard to ensure that students’ minds and bodies are ready for learning each day. In addition to the hard work our teachers and staff do every day to prepare students for success in the classroom, we can also work to encourage healthy eating and physical activity, leading them to lifelong success. By helping them start healthy habits early in life, we can help reduce our children's health risks and increase their chances for longer, more productive lives.