Meal Charge Procedure
Meals for Students with Insufficient Funds and Local Meal Charge Procedure
A written copy of this procedure will be distributed to parents and students at the beginning of the school year and is applicable to all students. An application for free/reduced breakfast and lunch meals will accompany this procedure. The procedure and an application for free and reduced meals will also be posted on the school’s webpage.
All schools will operate the point of sales system to record all cafeteria food transactions.
A student who requests a school meal will receive a standard school food program (reimbursable) meal regardless of whether the student can pay for it. Students with insufficient funds will be offered the same school food program meal options that are available to all students. Charges for meals provided without payment will continue to accrue to the student’s school food account. Both positive and negative student account balances roll over from year to year until paid or a refund is requested.
When a student owes money, the District will make attempts to reach the student's parent or guardian by a weekly email and/or by letter and will suggest the parent or guardian apply for participation in the school food program.
All communications regarding money owed by a student for school meals will be directed to the student's parent or guardian and not to the student for students in grades kindergarten through eight. The kitchen staff may address students in grades nine through twelve in a direct and private manner informing them of a low balance or overdrawn account. The District will also inform the parents of overdrawn accounts.
- A letter or written notice addressed to the parent/guardian and provided to the student to deliver to the parent/guardian is acceptable. The envelope containing the letter should be sealed and marked “confidential – to be opened by addressee only.”
- The District will communicate to Parents/guardians via email, text, our automated calling systems, and email to inform them when their account is overdrawn.
A student who cannot pay for a school meal or who owes money for school meals may not be publicly identified or stigmatized.
- Pennsylvania Public School Code prohibits schools from requiring a student to discard a meal after it was served to them due to their inability to pay for the meal or due to any prior debt for meals.
- A student who cannot pay for a school meal may not be required to perform chores or other work to pay for the school meal.
Students may not purchase a la carte foods if he/she owes money or does not have enough funds to cover the cost of the a la carte food at the time of purchase.
If an account is still negative as of June 30th, and greater than $100, the account may be turned over to a collection agency.