The School Board will provide cafeteria or serving facilities in all schools where space and facilities permit and food service for the purchase and consumption of lunch for all students.

The Board also will provide a breakfast program in accordance with procedures established by the State Department of Education.

The Board does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation or transgender identity), disability, age (except as authorized by law), religion, military status, ancestry, or genetic information (collectively, "Protected Classes") in its educational programs or activities, including the Food Service program. Students and all other members of the School Corporation community and third parties are encouraged to promptly report incidents of unlawful discrimination and/or retaliation related to the Food Service program to a teacher, administrator, supervisor, or other Corporation official so that the Board may address the conduct. See Policy 2260 – Nondiscrimination and Access to Equal Educational Opportunity.

The Food Service program will comply with Federal and State regulations pertaining to the selection, preparation, consumption, and disposal of food and beverages, including but not limited to the current USDA school meal pattern requirements and the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, as well as to the fiscal management of the program. In addition, as required by law, a food safety program that is based on the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system shall be implemented with the intent of preventing food-borne illnesses. For added safety and security, access to the facility and the food stored and prepared therein shall be limited to food service program staff and other authorized persons.

Substitutions to the standard meal requirements shall be made, at no additional charge, for students for whom a health care provider who has prescriptive authority in the State of Indiana has provided medical certification that the student has a disability that restricts his/her diet, in accordance with the criteria set forth in 7 C.F.R. Part 15b. To qualify for such substitutions the medical certification must identify:

On a case-by-case basis, substitutions to the standard meal requirements may be made, at no additional charge, for students who are not identified as having a disability but have a signed statement from a qualified medical authority that the student cannot consume certain food items due to medical or other special dietary needs. To qualify for such consideration and substitutions the medical statement must identify:

For students who need a nutritionally equivalent milk substitute, only a signed request by a doctor is required.

The operation and supervision of the Food Service program is the responsibility of the Child Nutrition Director. Food services will be operated on a self-supporting basis with revenue from students, staff, Federal reimbursement, and surplus food. The Board will assist the program by furnishing available space, initial major equipment, and utensils.

Lunches sold by the Corporation may be purchased by students, staff members and community residents in accordance with the procedures established by the Superintendent.

The Superintendent shall develop procedures regarding meal charges, which shall be implemented by the Child Nutrition Director. This procedure will provide direction so that students attending Corporation schools who do not have funds in their account or on-hand to cover the cost of their meal at the time of service are treated consistently, parents of students who charge meals are notified when a student charges a meal, and efforts are made to collect the charges made by students so that the unpaid charges are not classified as "bad debt" at the end of the school year.

Significant negative lunch account balances shall not be permitted. A significant negative lunch account balance is any balance owed in excess of $25.00.

If a student has a significant negative lunch account balance, s/he shall be provided a regular reimbursable meal that follows the USDA meal pattern, the cost of which shall continue to accrue to his/her negative lunch account balance.

Furthermore, if a student has a significant negative lunch account balance, the student shall not be permitted to charge any à la carte food or beverage items.

Any significant negative lunch account balance should be pursued for collection before it is determined to be uncollectible pursuant to Policy 6151.

The Board’s policy and Superintendent’s procedure related to meal charges shall be distributed in writing to all households at the start of each school year and to households transferring to the school or Corporation during the school year. Additionally, the Board’s policy and Superintendent’s procedure related to meal charges shall be distributed to all Corporation staff responsible for policy enforcement, including Corporation food service employees, accounting staff, and all other staff involved in enforcing any aspect of the meal charge policy. If the Corporation contracts with any third party to provide food services, the Board policy and Superintendent’s procedure also must be distributed to the contractor and its employees working in the Corporation schools.

Significant negative lunch account balances that are not collected in the year when the debt was incurred shall be classified as bad debt. Bad debt incurred through the inability to collect lunch payment from students is not an allowable cost chargeable to any Federal program. Once classified as bad debt, non-Federal funding sources shall reimburse the school lunch program account for the total amount of the bad debt. If funds to reimburse the Corporation for this bad debt are not available from another source, such as school or community organizations (like the PTA) or any other non-Federal source, the funds to reimburse the school lunch program shall be transferred from the Corporation general fund or other State or local funding to make that reimbursement.

Once the uncollectable/delinquent debt charges are converted to bad debt, records relating to those charges must be maintained in accordance with the record retention requirements in 7 C.F.R. 210.9(b)(17) and 7 C.F.R. 210.15(b). Any related collection costs, including legal costs, arising from such bad debt after they have been determined to be uncollectable also are unallowable.

Bad debt may be removed from accounts receivable in accordance with Policy 6151.

In accordance with Federal law, the Director of Child Nutrition will take such actions as are necessary to obtain a minimum of two (2) food safety inspections per school year, which are conducted by the State or local governmental agency responsible for food safety inspections. The report of the most recent inspection will be posted in a publicly visible location, and a copy of the report will be available upon request.

A periodic review of the Food Service accounts will be made by the Chief Financial Officer.

Any surplus funds from the National School Lunch Program will be used to reduce the cost of the service to students or to purchase cafeteria equipment. Surplus funds from à la carte foods may accrue to the Food Service program.

With regard to the operation of the Corporation Food Service program, the Superintendent shall require:

The Corporation’s Food Service program will serve only food items and beverages as determined by the Food Service Department to be in compliance with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Any competitive food items and beverages that are available for sale to students à la carte in the dining area between midnight and thirty (30) minutes following the end of the last lunch period also shall comply with the current USDA Nutrition Standards for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and the USDA Smart Snacks in Schools regulations. Foods and beverages unassociated with the food-service program may be vended subject to the rules and regulations set forth in Policy 8540.