8531.01 - SCHOOL MEALS CHARGING

Greater Clark County School Corporation

Bylaws & Policies

8531.01 - SCHOOL MEALS CHARGING

The Greater Clark County School Corporation has an essential role in the lives of students by providing them with a foundation for healthy living and learning. The GCCS Food and Nutrition Department makes affordable, healthy, and nutritious breakfasts and lunches available. The Food and Nutrition Department is not required by State or Federal Law to provide a meal at no charge to students. It is the responsibility of a student’s parents to provide meals either by supplying food from home, by paying the school lunch program so that the school may supply a meal, or by applying for meal assistance through the free and reduced meal programs.

The Board of School Trustees recognizes that uncontrollable family circumstances occur occasionally that result in student meal accounts running out of funds. In order to address these circumstances, a procedure has been developed to allow elementary and middle school students to charge a limited number of meals.

The Corporation goes to great lengths to make sure parents are aware of the cost of meals. An online meals account can be established so that their child can enjoy breakfast and lunch at school. For those persons who are unable to afford the full cost of the school meals, an application can be completed for free or reduced priced meals.

RULES FOR ADMINISTERING CHARGING OF SCHOOL MEALS

	A.	The charging limit for elementary students will not exceed $20.00.
	B.	The charging limit for middle school students will not exceed $10.00.
	C.	There will be NO CHARGING ALLOWED for high school students.
	D.	Students will not be allowed to charge "a la carte" items at any time.
	E.	No adults will be allowed to charge any item(s).
	F.	Elementary Food Service Managers will send negative balance letters home weekly.
	G.	A phone call will be placed to the parent(s) at the number listed in the permanent record file, via School Messenger on Mondays and Thursdays, when their child’s account is at the limit as described in Rules 1 and 2 above. All outstanding charges must be paid before new charges will be accepted.
	H.	Once the limit has been reached:

		1.	Elementary and middle school students will be offered an alternative meal consisting of a cheese sandwich, fruit and white milk at lunch at cost.
		2.	Elementary and middle school students will be offered an alternate meal at breakfast consisting of a graham crackers and fruit juice at cost.

	I.	If the amount owed reaches $30.00, then a letter from the Corporation will be mailed to the household requesting payment and indicating the next step will be collections through an outside agency.
	J.	If the household fails to make a payment, the household will be turned over to a professional collection agency for collection of past due monies including associated fees.
	K.	A professional collection agency will use standard credit collection procedures including letters, telephone calls, reporting to credit agencies, and court actions to collect due accounts. The collection process may include additional fees charged to the parent for the collection process.
	L.	At no time will a child be denied a meal, based on their account balance, if they present cash in hand for the full cost of the meal.
	M.	Food services will maintain an online payment system that will accept multiple forms of payment including the use of PayPal, debit card, e-check, or credit card for households to make deposits into a student’s account. Schools accept cash or check.

Adopted 9/6/16