Guam - The cost for food may have gone up, but the Department of Education is giving incentive for students to eat at the school cafeteria. No one will ever have to know if you're free, reduced, or paying full price for your breakfast or lunch at the school cafeteria - not with the upcoming launch of the smartcard.

"Every child will have it it's not like the Questcard where only those with food stamps will have it, every child. Whether you're free paid or reduced. they will get a card in order to eat," explained DOE federal programs administrator Ike Santos. He says students, especially in the secondary schools are embarrassed to eat in cafeterias if their friends know they're receiving free or reduced meals.

"There's a program and it's called the smart card that smart card is a POS system with the card and nobody will know except the lunch clerk and whoever they need to know to determine whether or not they're free, paid, or reduced - nobody will know. So this will increase the participation rate for all students because nobody will know if they're free, paid, or reduced," he said.

State program officer for DOE's Child Nutrition Program Jesse Rosario says it's now $2.50 for a plate at the school cafeteria, which may also have an affect on student participation.

"The cost for food is going to affect participation rates any time the price goes up people are going to look back at their expenses and see if they can afford the food, but we're trying to say that the $2.50 you're paying for the food your kids aren't getting something that's not worth it," he shared.

Rosario has visited all public school cafeterias since the start of classes last week. He assures parents and students that the meals are in line with President Barack Obama's Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010, which puts emphasis on nutritious school meals that cut saturated fat, calories, and sodium.

"The $2.50 for the regular priced meal - there's been a lot of discussion about the price going up from $0.75 to $2 to $2.50, but if you look at the meals all together we provide meals that are nutritiously balanced," he said. "We have grains we have meat, we have fruit, vegetables, and milk we have food items on that tray."

The smartcard is set to launch in a little over a month.