In accordance with state and federal law, the school district adopts the following policy to ensure school district employees, families, and students have a shared understanding of expectations regarding meal charges. The policy seeks to allow students to receive the nutrition they need to stay focused during the school day, prevent the overt identification of students with insufficient funds to pay for school meals, and maintain the financial integrity of the nonprofit school nutrition program.
Payment of Meals
All meal purchases are to be prepaid before meal service begins. Payment is accepted in the school district office by check or cash and is added to the student account at time of payment. Students who do not have sufficient funds shall not be allowed to charge seconds on meals or a la carte items until additional money is deposited in the student account.
Students who qualify for free meals shall never be denied a reimbursable meal, even if they have accrued a negative balance from previous purchases. Schools are encouraged to provide a reimbursable meal to students with outstanding meal charge debt. If an alternate meal is provided, the meal must be the same meal presented in the same manner to any student requesting an alternate meal.
Negative Account Balances
The school district will make reasonable efforts to notify families when meal account balances are low. Additionally, the school district will make reasonable efforts to collect unpaid meal charges classified as delinquent debt. The school district will coordinate communications with the student’s parent or guardian to resolve the matter of unpaid charges. Parents or guardians will be notified of a low lunch balance once the balance falls below positive $10.00. Families will be notified by letter, email, and/or text alerts based on their preference of communication. Negative balances of more than $20.00, not paid prior to the end of month will be turned over to the superintendent or designee for collection. Options may include: collection agencies, small claims court or any other legal method permitted by law.
Unpaid Student Meals Account
The school district will establish an unpaid student meals account in a school nutrition fund. Funds from private sources and funds from the school district flexibility account may be deposited into the unpaid school district meals account in accordance with law. Funds deposited into this account shall be used only to pay individual student meal debt.
Communication of the Policy
The policy and supporting information regarding meal charges shall be provided in writing to:
- All households at or before the start of each school year;
- Students and families who transfer into the school district, at time of transfer; and
- All staff responsible for enforcing any aspect of the policy.
Records of how and when the policy and supporting information was communicated to households and staff will be retained.
Approved: 10-9-17
Reviewed: 5-14-18
Revised: 7-8-19, 9-13-22
