Policy 734-R School Meals Policy Regulations

The following regulations relate to student meal accounts, communication of negative account balances to families, the collection of delinquent debt, and treatment of debts considered to be uncollectible. 

A. Payment of Meals: 

1. All a la carte items for second entrees or meal purchases are to be prepaid before meal service begins. Payments can be made through the electronic payment system or at the school building. A student who does not have sufficient funds will not be allowed to charge a la carte items or a second meal or entree until additional money is deposited in the student’s account. Each school that participates in the free school meals program must: 

• participate in the United States Department of Agriculture School Breakfast Program nd the United States Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program; and 
• provide to all students at no cost up to two federally reimbursable meals per school day, with a maximum of one free breakfast and one free lunch 

2. Once a reimbursable meal has been placed on a student’s tray or otherwise served to a student, the meal may not be subsequently withdrawn from the student by the cashier or other school official, whether or not the student has an outstanding meal balance. Second lunches and/or entrees will be removed if the student has an outstanding meal balance. 

B. Low or Negative Account Balances- Notification 

1. The school district will make reasonable efforts to notify families when meal account balances are low or fall below zero. 

2. Reminders for payments of outstanding student meal balances will not demean or stigmatize any student participating in the school lunch program, including, but not limited to, dumping reimbursable meals, withdrawing a reimbursable meal that has been served, announcing or listing students’ names publicly, providing alternative meals not specifically related to dietary needs; providing non-reimbursable meals; or affixing stickers, stamps, or pins. 

C. Collection of Delinquent Debts 
The families of students who have negative meal account balances, who are not eligible for free or reduced-price meals will be asked to make payments eliminating the negative balance of their account. Families who request payment plans will be accommodated at the discretion of the nutrition services program director. Payments can be made by cash or check at the student’s school or electronically through the student’s online meal account.

D. Treatment of Debts Deemed Uncollectible 
Student meal account balances that have been negative by 90 days or more as of June 30 of a given year will be considered uncollectible and written-off as bad debt. The review and classification of negative student meal accounts as bad debt will be conducted by the business office and nutrition services program director. Bad debts will be recorded as an operating loss in the General Fund as well as a transfer of cash from the General Fund to the Food Service Fund. Any amounts written-off as operating losses in the General Fund that are subsequently recovered will be recorded as revenue in the General Fund. 

E. Recordkeeping of Debts Deemed Uncollectible 
Records of negative student account balances that are deemed uncollectible and classified as bad debt shall be maintained in accordance with 7 C.F.R. § 210.9(b)(17), 7 C.F.R. § 210.15(b), and the District record retention policy. The following records will be maintained to document the appropriate treatment of bad debts: 

1. evidence of efforts to collect unpaid meal charges in accordance the District’s adopted unpaid meal charge policy; 

2. evidence that collection efforts fell within the timeframe and methods established by the District’s adopted meal charge policy; 

3. evidence that debts considered uncollectible were written off as operating losses in the General Fund of the District and; 

4. evidence that debts written off as operating losses were returned to the Food Service Fund using non-Federal sources. 

F. Collection and Uses of Donations 
Donations that are made to the District for the purposes of relieving negative student meal accounts will be accepted with appreciation by the School Board at a Regular Meeting and deposited into the General Fund of the District. Donations will not be applied to the accounts of specific students or schools unless specified by the donor. Donations will generally be applied to negative student meal accounts on a first in, first out basis and in the following order: negative accounts belonging to students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, negative accounts of students who are not eligible for free or reduced-price meals but demonstrate economic need, negative accounts deemed uncollectible. 

The nutrition services program director and their designee will be responsible for applying donations to negative balances and clearing negative balances within the District’s school nutrition financial system. The business office will record a transfer of cash from the General Fund to the Food Service Fund to account for the use of donations in the District’s financial records.
 

• Adopted: June 14, 2021 
• Amended: August 14, 2023 
• Last Reviewed: August 14, 2023 
   

• Policy 734 - School Meals Policy