School lunch is not what it used to be. The old days of fish sticks and rectangular pizza are gone. What students eat in schools in 2026 is much different than when their parents were growing up.
At Charleston County public schools, students might enjoy dishes like chicken and waffles, beef and cheese burritos, hot dogs and orange chicken. At one private school, choices range from teriyaki chicken to Greek gyros and from Lowcountry boil to Asian steamed dumplings.
“I am guaranteed to like something every day at lunch,” said Makena Bergren, a Porter-Gaud senior and member of the private school’s dining committee. “The variety is what makes it so appealing.”
Meal planning today doesn’t just involve ordering ingredients and preparing them. The Charleston Country School District (CCSD) has a registered dietitian and a nutrition services team. Porter-Gaud has an executive chef and a food service director. These professionals are weighing in on everything from balanced meals to dietary restrictions.
Certified S.C. Cafeteria
In early February 2026, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture announced the Certified S.C. Cafeteria program in which schools are reimbursed for vegetables, fruits, grains and honey produced in-state.
Created with $1 million in annual funding from the state’s General Assembly, incentives are also offered for schools that source the highest percentage of local food.
Sixty-seven of South Carolina’s public school districts and schools have signed up for the first year of the program. According to the Department of Agriculture, the program includes 874 school cafeterias across the state serving 538,066 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
“Our state’s farmers grow so many fresh healthy foods, but supply chains and red tape have sometimes made it difficult for schools to buy local food,” S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said last month when kicking off the program in Greenville. “By creating the Certified SC Cafeteria program, we’re investing in our children’s future and increasing economic opportunity for South Carolina.”
Feeding more than 50,000 students
The Certified S.C. Cafeteria program is already having an impact on public school students. CCSD is the second-largest school system in the state, and the district serves more than 50,000 students in 85 schools.
“We work through our vendors,” said CCSD Registered Dietitian Megan Funderburk about new products available through the program. “They may be connected with a local farm and have a local warehouse. If we’re interested in a local farmer, we can always see if the vendor would allow them to distribute through their warehouse.”
Early College High School (ECHS) on Columbus Street also qualifies for a program called the Community Eligibility Provision. According to the Education Department, the provision “provides an opportunity for schools and local educational agencies in high poverty areas to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students without the burden of collecting and processing school meal applications for free and reduced-price meals.”
All food in a CCSD school is prepared on-site and, each day at ECHS, students can pick from a hot meal, cheese or pepperoni pizza, a chicken sandwich, a cold option and an entrée salad.
“We have to offer five components which are essentially the five food groups: a grain, a vegetable, a fruit, meat or a meat alternative and milk,” Funderburk said. “Within those five components, students have to take three for their meal to count as a free meal. One of the components also must be half a cup of fruit or vegetable.”
“What I love about our menu is just how many options we have,” said Angela McLaughlin, executive director of Nutrition Services for CCSD. “When you look at it, these really are, in essence, mini restaurants when you look across the district. There is something for everyone.”
At Stiles Point Elementary School on James Island, a recent lunch included Texas toast grilled cheese along with tomato basil soup. Each day, the hot entrée is the same at all elementary schools across the district and all middle and high schools have the same menu. There are also special holiday meals. For national breakfast week, CCSC will offer local grits from Marsh Hen Mill on Edisto Island.
Dining at a local private school
Porter-Gaud, an independent, co-educational, Episcopal college preparatory school in West Ashley, provides lunch to just over 1,000 students. Lunch, which is included in tuition, includes a traditional hot entrée and a power bowl, a nutrient dense dish with whole grains and roasted and steamed proteins. There is also a salad bar, deli, daily soups, pre-made paninis for upper schoolers, fruit, yogurt and a granola station.
Kelsey Chase is the executive chef at Porter-Gaud, and she typically plans meals six weeks out. Menus vary seasonally and the school uses U.S Foods and Sysco as distributors. Atlanta’s Crown Bakery provides fresh bread weekly and local vegetables and items like grains, cheeses and honey come from Limehouse Produce and Growfood Carolinas.
Like CCSD, Porter-Gaud also works to educate students on where their food comes from. The school provides signage showing which farm the local produce comes from, and vendors are on-site several times to share information with students. Chase also has a dining committee of students that meets monthly, and each year she teaches a college cooking 101 class with the senior class.
Crowd favorite meals at Porter-Gaud are what you might expect: cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches, pizza, chicken tenders, tacos and pulled pork.
“Our goal is to have lunch be a delicious, enjoyable and educational experience,” Chase said.
“Our program is chef-driven, and I can’t speak highly enough of the amazing team that makes each lunch happen.”
Chase said she also plans special meals for holidays. She served corned beef and cabbage, bangers and mash and fish and chips for St. Patrick’s Day. For Thanksgiving, there is a big turkey dinner before everyone goes out on break. The school also celebrates national food holidays.
“Porter-Gaud offers an array of daily options, leaving students excited as they head into lunch,” Harry Goldberg, Porter-Gaud senior and dining committee member said. “I take pride in knowing every meal is healthy and powers me through my classes throughout the school day.”
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