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Nutrition Services » Meal Charging Policy

Meal Charging Policy

 

West Valley School District #363

 Meal Charging Policy

2022-23 School Year- Effective July 1st 2022

Purpose:

It is our goal as a public school district to feed our students nutritious and balanced meals to support their classroom learning and quality of life. We recognize that on occasion, students may forget to bring lunch money to school, but due to the nature of our federally funded National School Lunch and Breakfast program, we are required to make a policy addressing the concerns of unpaid meal charges. Unpaid meal charges place a financial strain on the Food Service Department and it is our goal to address this appropriately at each grade level in order to continue operation of our program. USDA does not require us to provide meals to students once their account is insufficient.

Scope of Responsibility:

The Food Service Department: Responsible for maintaining records of meal charges and alerting households of meal account balances by way of phone calls, emails, and letters.

The School District: Responsible for assisting the Food Service Department in collection of unpaid funds as well as intervention on an administrative level if deemed necessary.

The Parents/Guardians: Responsible for maintaining a positive meal account balance for students or delegating responsibility to adult students.

 

Policy:

At all grade levels:

  1.      Households will receive several automated meal balance notifications via email and phone calls.
  2.      No students under the age of 15 will be involved in the conversation of their meal account balance unless they personally inquire.
  3.      School secretaries will make attempts to contact families regarding meal account balances and offer assistance with applications for free or reduced priced meals as needed.
  4.      After the last day of school, charges cannot be altered and will be permanent on the account for that completed school year.
  5.      All Food Service account charges are expected to be paid by the end of the school year. All negative balances carry over from the previous year.

For High School Students (9-12th):

  1.       No students will be denied a meal under any circumstance. Students will never receive an alternate meal based on meal account balance.
  2.      Students will be reminded by food service staff of their account balance once the account reaches $5.00 or less and will continue until account is in good standing.
  3.      Once the student’s negative balance exceeds 5 lunches the household will receive a personal call home from a designated school employee informing them of their delinquent account. Application assistance will be provided if necessary.
  4.      Principals and school administrators will investigate the household situation to determine if further assistance is required on a case by case basis.

For Middle School Students (6-8, 5th at City School):

  1.      No students will be denied a meal under any circumstance. Students will never receive an alternate meal based on meal account balance.
  2.      Once the student’s negative balance exceeds 5 lunches the household will receive a personal call home from a designated school employee informing them of their delinquent account. Application assistance will be provided if necessary.
  3.      Principals and school administrators will investigate the household situation to determine if further assistance is required on a case by case basis.

For Elementary School Students (K-5):

      1. No students will be denied a meal under any circumstance. Students will never receive an alternate meal based on meal account balance.

      2. Once the student’s negative balance exceeds 5 lunches the household will receive a personal call home from a designated school         employee informing them of their delinquent account. Application assistance will be provided if necessary.

      3. Principals and school administrators will investigate the household situation to determine if further assistance is required on a case by case        basis.

 

A La Carte Sales:

  1.      Students may purchase an la carte item(s) if:
    1.      They have a positive meal account balance which will cover the purchase.
    2.      They have cash, and their meal account balance is not owing.
  2.      Students may not purchase an la carte item(s) if:
    1.      Their meal account balance is negative, or said la carte purchase will bring the account negative.
    2.      They have an a la carte block on their meal account set forth by a parent or guardian.
  3.      A la carte purchases will not be reversed after they have been made. Communication regarding a la carte privileges should be made clear to students by parents or guardians prior to purchasing.

 

For Staff:

Meal charging is not allowed. All meals must be pre-paid. Substitute staff without Skyward accounts may purchase an adult meal voucher through the school office in order to receive a meal.



Payments may be made online through West Valley Nutrition Services, or via cash or check at the school office.

National School Lunch Program free and reduced applications are available online through WVSD Nutrition Services, and may be filled out at any time during the year.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your students account, please contact your school office.