Charge Policy
The school district has a charge policy for each level (elementary - 2 charges, middle - 1 charge, and high - no charges) which has been adopted at all schools. Unpaid charges place a financial strain on Nutrition Services, which is the department in charge of the School Lunches.
Did you know Nutrition Services is an enterprise fund that does not receive general fund support for routine operations, and thus must generate funds through student and adult sales, snack sales, and federal and state reimbursement in order to pay operating expenses and fees to the district?
Unpaid charges reduce revenue that affects the ability to pay outstanding bills and employee salaries. Uncollected charges may result in higher meal prices for all other students.
District meal charge policy goals are:
- To treat all students with dignity in the serving line regarding meal accounts;
- To support positive situations with district staff, district business policies, students and parents to the maximum extent possible;
- To establish policies that are age appropriate;
- To encourage parents to assume the responsibility of meal payments and to promote self-responsibility of the student;
- To establish a consistent district policy regarding charges and collection of charges.
We thought you should know all the notification steps we take so you and your student know when money is needed:
1. When your student has two prepaid lunches remaining in his/her account, the cashier will remind your child. Your child may voluntarily stamp his/her hand with a "Need Lunch Money" stamp to remind him/her to ask for lunch money.
2. The cashier will repeat step one when your student has just one prepaid lunch remaining.
3. At the first meal charge, the cashier will again suggest your student stamp his/her hand with the "Need Lunch Money" stamp and we will feed your student a full meal. We also have reminder coupons "Need Lunch Money" that your child may pick up to bring home.
4. At the second meal charge (available only at elementary), we will again remind your student and suggest (s)he stamp hand with "Need Lunch Money" stamp. The reminder coupons "Need Lunch Money" will also be available for your student to pick up to bring home.
5. At the third and fourth meal charges for elementary, or second and third meal charges for middle, we will feed your student a complimentary meal consisting of vegetables, fruit, a large dinner roll and a carton of milk. The cashier will again ask your student to stamp his/her hand or pick up a "Need Lunch Money" coupon as a reminder to bring money. We will provide up to two complimentary meals free of charge.
6. An automated call will be placed to your home when your child owes charges.
7. Hands are not stamped at the Middle School; but verbal reminders are given.
Remember that your child may select an extra entree or ala carte items, which may reduce the amount of money left in your student's account. If you wish to prohibit these services, you may notify the manager or assistant manager at your child's school, and we will put a note to that effect in the computer. You may also designate that your child can NEVER charge, and we will also record that request in your student's file.
If your student's account has a charge of two or more meals and no payment has been received in a week, the kitchen staff will call the parents to request payment of meals served. Please help us keep meal costs down. Pay your student's charges promptly. Uncollected charges and the service costs associated with collecting those charges, increases meal prices for all students.
School Messenger
Nutrition Services plans to implement an automated phone call system called School Messenger. Parents will receive a call at home on Mondays if their child's account is at $5.00 or below. Another call will be placed to the student's home letting parents know when their child has charges. This call will be placed once a week at the end of the week.