In accordance with state and federal law, the Linn-Mar Community School District adopts the following policy to ensure school district employees, families, and students have a shared understanding of expectations regarding meal charges. The policy seeks to allow students to receive the nutrition they need to stay focused during the school day, prevent the overt identification of students with insufficient funds to pay for school meals, and maintain the financial integrity of the nonprofit school nutrition program.
PAYMENT FOR MEALS
Each student is assigned a computerized meal account. Parents can pre-pay into a student’s meal account by sending a check to the student’s school, district office, or paying online with debit/credit card. During meal service, students scan an ID badge at the cash register. The computer debits and records purchases from the student’s meal account.
MEAL CHARGING
The Nutrition Services department closely monitors student accounts to prevent negative balances and changes as follows:
Students:
Students that fail to have positive account balances may charge meals under the following parameters:
- Students will be served a full, regular meal (breakfast or lunch)
- Allergies will be taken into consideration
- No snacks or a la carte items may be charged, with the exception of milk
- Families will receive email communications when the account balance is low or negative
Staff/Adults:
- No charges of meals or a la carte items allowed
- Adults will be notified of their balance verbally at the cash register when the balance falls below $15.00
- Adults will receive email communications when the account balance is negative
Students who qualify for free or reduced meals will never be denied a reimbursable meal even if they have accrued a negative balance from previous purchases. Schools are encouraged to provide a reimbursable meal to students with outstanding meal charge debt. If an alternate meal is provided, the meal must be the same meal presented in the same manner to any student requesting an alternate meal.
NEGATIVE ACCOUNT BALANCES
The school district will make reasonable efforts to notify families when meal account balances are low. However, the failure of the school district to notify families will not relieve the families’ obligations to keep meal account balances current; nor will it prevent the school district from being able to take all actions legally available to collect any delinquent account balances. Additionally, the school district will make reasonable efforts to collect unpaid meal charges classified as delinquent debt. Negative balances of more than $20.00, not paid prior to the end of the school year, will be turned over to the manager of Nutrition Services [or designee] for collection. Options may include collection agencies, small claims court, or any other legal method permitted by law.
UNPAID STUDENT MEAL ACCOUNTS
The district will establish an unpaid student meal account in a school nutrition fund. Funds from private sources and funds from the district flexibility account may be deposited into the unpaid school meal accounts in accordance with law. Funds deposited into this account will be used only to pay individual student meal debt.
COMMUNICATION OF POLICY
The policy and supporting information regarding meal charges will be provided in writing to:
- All households at or before the start of each school year
- Students and families who transfer into the district, at time of transfer
- All staff responsible for enforcing any aspect of the policy
Records of how and when the policy and supporting information was communicated to households and staff will be retained. The Nutrition Services manager [or designee] may develop the administrative process to implement this policy.
Adopted: 4/16
Reviewed: 8/17; 2/24
Revised: 11/18; 9/21
Related Policy: 702.1; 702.1-R2; 702.1-E1-E2
Legal Reference (Code of Iowa): 42 USC 1751 et seq; 7 CFR §§ 210 et seq; 283A; 281 IAC 58
IASB Reference: 710.04
Mandatory Policy