Policy 5550 – Meal Charges

(Adopted – October 15, 2024)

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to maintain consistent meal account procedures throughout the District. Unpaid charges place a financial strain on District finances. The Food Service Department is responsible for maintaining food charge records and for notifying the District’s accounting department of outstanding balances.

Administration

1. Student Groups:
   • Elementary students will be allowed to charge a maximum of ten ($10.00) dollars.
     1. These meals will include only the menu items of the reimbursable meal.
     2. After the balance exceeds ten ($10.00) dollars, the student may be given a designated menu alternate.
   • Middle School students will be allowed to charge a maximum of ten ($10.00) dollars. After this maximum has been met, no additional charges will be accepted.
   • High School students will be allowed to charge one meal.
2. No charges will be allowed for ala carte foods and beverages.
3. Parents/guardians of students with negative balances will be contacted electronically, by correspondence, by phone call by the District Accounting Office, or by the Food Service Department.
4. On May 15 annually all charging will be cut off.
   • Parents/guardians will be sent a written request for “payment in full.”
   • All charges not paid before the end of the school year will be carried forward into the next school year.
   • Graduating seniors must pay all charges in full. Failure to do so may result in the delinquent student being denied participation in graduation ceremonies.
5. If a financial hardship is suspected, families will be encouraged to apply for free/reduced meals at any time during the school year.
6. Each building principal will send a letter to all parents on or before the first day of school notifying them of the requirements of this policy. This policy will also be published on the District’s website.

Collection of Unpaid Meal Charges

Unpaid meal charges, like any other money owed under the District’s Food Service Program will be considered delinquent debt. The debt will remain delinquent as long as it is considered collectable, and efforts are being made to collect it. In addition to the notices of delinquency provided in this Policy, District officials will work with parents/guardians in an effort to implement reasonable repayment plans. When such efforts are unsuccessful, the District will consider other options, including placement with a collection agency or legal action.

When District officials determine that further collection efforts for delinquent debts are useless or too costly, the debt will be reclassified as “bad debt.” Once reclassified as bad debt, the indebtedness will be written off as an operating loss. Federal funds will not be used to cover costs related to any bad debt, including, but not limited to, continued legal and collections costs. Such operating losses will not be absorbed by the federal food service program but rather will be restored from the District’s general fund or other non-federal sources. Records relating to bad debts will be maintained in accordance with federal record retention requirements.

Discrimination Clause

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

(1) mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) fax:

(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email: 

[email protected]

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.