File: EF-E-1 - School Meal Payments

NOTE: Federal guidance requires school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program to have a written policy concerning unpaid school meal charges. This sample contains the language CASB believes best meets the intent of the law. However, the district should consult with its own legal counsel to determine appropriate language that meets local circumstances and needs.

This exhibit does not need to be adopted by the Board nor does it need to be filed in the Board’s policy manual. Instead, it should be used by the district’s “school food authorities” in consultation with school administrators to develop a district-level policy and be kept in a location such as the district’s nutrition services manual. Federal guidance also encourages districts to include a school meal charge policy in student handbooks, student enrollment/registration packets and/or online portals that families use to access student accounts.

The district is committed to ensuring that all students receive the nutrition they need to engage in active learning during the school day. In accordance with applicable federal guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), this policy is intended to serve the purposes of meeting student needs, minimizing the identification of students with insufficient funds to pay for school meals and maintaining the fiscal integrity of the district’s school food service account.

Student meal accounts and meal charges

Student meal accounts shall be established by the district.

Parents will be encouraged to pre-pay for students paying full or reduced price for meals. The district shall ensure that parents have access to at least one no-cost method of paying for meal services, such as the ability to pay in person. [Optional language: At the time funds are distributed into student accounts, parents will be permitted to limit the amount of funds that a student may use daily, including for á la carte purchases.]

Students will be permitted to pay for meals and/or add funds to student accounts on the day of service.

If a student has money to purchase a full or reduced price meal at the time of the meal service, the student must be provided a meal. The student’s money may not be used to repay previously unpaid charges if the student intended to use the money to purchase that day’s meal.

[Optional language: A meal account balance remains with the student until the student is no longer enrolled in the district. Students with unused credit in their accounts at the point of disenrollment or graduation will receive a refund in the amount of the credit.]

[NOTE: The USDA’s guidance permits the district to allow students to charge all types of available reimbursable meals, offer alternate meals, impose a limit on meal charges, or prohibit meal charges or alternate meals entirely. USDA Guidance, SP46-2016: Unpaid Meal Charges: Local Meal Charge Policies. The district should choose one of the following options.]

[Option 1: Permits students to charge meals.]

Students paying full or reduced price for meals and who do not have money in their account or in hand to cover the cost of a meal at the time of service will be permitted to charge a meal. [Optional language: However, these students will be denied permission to charge á la carte or “extra” items, such as a second milk or additional entrée.]

[Choose one of the following options regarding maximum meal charges.]

Students may charge up to __[insert number of meals or monetary limit]__ per school year before the student will no longer be permitted to charge meals. Students at the meal charge maximum will be provided a complimentary replacement meal. [Optional language: Students will be limited to __[insert number]__ complimentary replacement meals per school year.]

[or]

Each school year, elementary students will be permitted to charge a maximum of __[insert number]__ meals, middle school students will be permitted to charge a maximum of __[insert number]__ meals and high school students will be permitted to charge a maximum of __[insert number]__ meals. Students at the meal charge maximum will be provided a complimentary replacement meal. [Optional language: Students will be limited to __[insert number]__ complimentary replacement meals per school year.]

[End of Option 1]

[Option 2: Does not permit students to charge meals but allows students to receive a complimentary meal.]

Students paying full or reduced price for meals and who do not have money in their account or in hand to cover the cost of a meal at the time of service shall receive a complimentary replacement meal. [Optional language: Students shall be limited to __[insert number]__ complimentary replacement meals per school year.]

[End of Option 2]

[or]

[Option 3: Does not permit students to charge meals or receive a complimentary meal.]

Students paying full or reduced price for meals and who do not have money in their account or in hand to cover the cost of a meal at the time of service are not permitted to charge meals and shall not receive a complimentary meal or a la carte items.

[End of Option 3]

Notification of low or negative balances

Notification of a low balance on a student account will be provided privately by [describe the district’s method of notification, including amount that constitutes a “low” balance and payment reminders, such as payment notices sent directly to the parent’s email address, telephone calls, and/or automated text messages or emails sent from an online payment system].

When notified of a low balance on a student account, parents will be reminded of this policy and the process for submitting applications for free or reduced price meal benefits. Parents will also be notified that any school meal debt accrued prior to the district’s determination that the student is eligible for free or reduced lunch remains the parent’s responsibility.

Notification of a negative balance on a student account will be provided by [describe the district’s method of notification, including how many days a debt may be delinquent before payment is requested, expected payment dates and collection efforts].

Collection of meal charge debt

In collecting debt, the district shall ensure that collection efforts do not have a negative impact on the students involved and instead focus on the adult(s) in the household responsible for providing funds for student meal purchases. The district will work with parents to establish repayment plans with payment levels and due dates appropriate to the household’s particular circumstances.

For students with delinquent meal charges, the following process will be used to collect debt. [Describe the district’s debt collection efforts, including the individual responsible for initiating collection procedures (e.g., food service manager, school principal, superintendent’s office, etc.) and whether and how the district will escalate collection methods.]

[Optional language: Collection efforts from one school year may continue into the following school year, including when students transfer to a school outside of the district.]

Annual notice

The district shall notify students and their parents about this policy at the beginning of each school year. Notification shall also be provided to those students who transfer into the district during the school year. Information about this policy may also be included in student handbooks, student enrollment or registration packets and/or back-to-school packets and posted on district and school websites.

This policy will also be communicated to school and district-level staff responsible for this policy’s enforcement, such as school food service staff responsible for collecting payment for meals at the point of service, staff involved in notifying families of low or negative balances, and staff involved in enforcing any other aspects of this policy.

(Issue date)

LEGAL REF.: USDA Guidance SP 46-2016 (requires written policy regarding unpaid meal charges)

[Revised May 2023]