The School
Committee is committed to providing students with healthy, nutritious meals
each day so they can focus on school work, while also
maintaining the financial integrity of meal programs and minimizing any impact
on students with meal charges. However, unpaid meal charges place a large
financial burden on the school district, as food services is a self-supporting
entity within the district. The purpose of this policy is to ensure compliance
with federal reporting requirements of the USDA Child Nutrition Program, as
well as provide oversight and accountability for the collection of outstanding
student meal balances.
The provisions of
this policy pertain to regular priced school meals only. The School Committee
will provide a regular meal to students who forget or lose their lunch money.
Meal
Charges and Balances
Students will pay
for meals at the regular rate approved by the School Committee and for their
meal status (regular, reduced-price, or free) each day. Payment options will be
delineated in student handbooks and provided to parents/guardians of incoming
students. After the balance reaches zero and enters the negative, students will
not be allowed to purchase a la carte items including but not limited to a
second entrée, snack, ice cream, or an additional beverage. The student will
still be allowed to take a meal, and that meal will continue to be charged to
the account at the standard lunch rate based on their meal status. The
parent/guardian is responsible for any meal charges incurred. If there is a
financial hardship, a parent/guardian should contact food services directly to
discuss payment options such as an individualized repayment plan.
Payments
Parents/Guardians
are responsible for all meal payments to the food service program. Notices of
low or deficit balances will be sent directly to parent/guardians via email or
regular postal mail at regular intervals during the school year. At no
time shall any staff member give payment notices to students unless that
student is known to be an emancipated minor who is fully responsible for
themselves or over the age of 18. If parents/guardians have issues with
student purchases they should contact food services for assistance.
Parents/Guardians
may pay for meals in advance. Further details are available on the school
district webpage and in student handbooks. Funds should be maintained in
accounts to minimize the possibility that a child may be without meal money on
any given day. Any remaining funds for a particular student,
whether positive or negative, will be carried over to the next school year.
All school
cafeterias possess computerized point of sale/cash register systems that
maintain records of all monies deposited and spent for each student and those
records are available to parents/guardians by setting up an online account (see
student handbooks for more details) or by speaking with the school's food
service manager. The point-of-sale system is designed to prevent direct
identification of a student's meal status. Parents/guardians will receive
automated low-balance emails or mailed notices weekly, if applicable. If
notices do not result in payment, parents/guardians will receive a phone call
from food services. If the phone call does not result in payment the food
service manager shall turn the account over to the business office.
Refunds
Refunds for
withdrawn and/or graduating students require a written request (email, postal,
or in person) for a refund of any money remaining in their account to be
submitted. Graduating students also have the option to transfer funds to a
sibling's account or to donate to a student in need with a written request.
Delinquent
Accounts/Collections
Failure of a
parent or guardian to maintain reasonably current accounts may result in a
referral to the Superintendent for their review. The Superintendent shall
ensure that there are appropriate and effective collection procedures and
internal controls within the school district's business office that meet the
requirements of law.
If a student is
without meal money on a consistent basis, the administration may investigate
the situation more closely and take further action as needed. If financial
hardship exists, parents/guardians and families are encouraged to apply for
free or reduced-price lunches for their child. Each school handbook shall
contain detailed instructions for family assistance.
Policy
Communications
This policy shall
be communicated to all staff and families at the beginning of each school year
and to families transferring to the district during the year.
LEGAL REFS:
MGL 71:72; USDA School Meal Program Guidelines May 2017
CROSS REFS: JQ, Student Fees, Fines & Charges
SOURCE: MASC July
2018