Lewisburg Area School District Policies	Printable version
808.1 Food Service Student Meal Accounts 808.1. FOOD SERVICE STUDENT MEAL ACCOUNTS The Board recognizes the importance of nutrition as a key to effective learning, and to help ensure that all students receive healthy meals, authorizes the use of a point of sale debit system for the purchase of cafeteria meals. The point of sale system is designed to allow parents/guardians an easy method for paying for their child’s meals. Definitions Point of Sale System - A food service tracking system that records food purchases and all monetary exchange between the District’s food service operations and the student using his/her Student Account. Student Account - Individual account assigned to each student in the District for accounting purposes for the purchase of meals and food items. Notification – Parents/guardians may be notified in a variety of ways including text, email, phone call, and/or postal letter The Board authorizes the Director of Administrative Services, Food Service Director, and the Superintendent to develop and implement procedures for the administration of the Point of Sale System, and to take the required actions to ensure the collection of outstanding balances. Students and parents/guardians are responsible to monitor the balance of the account and keep a positive balance. The Student Meal Account is a debit account, where funds are deposited into the account by the student or their parents/guardians in advance of purchasing meals. It is the responsibility of the Food Service Office to notify parents/guardians of a delinquent balance in the Student Meal Account. It is the responsibility of the Business Office to pursue the collection of Student Meal Accounts that are delinquent. The Business Office will turn over any Student Meal Account that is delinquent for more than 45 days to the appropriate authority for collection, unless the parent/guardian has made a financial arrangement with the District to address the deficiency. In such cases, the language of the agreement will prevail. National School Lunch Program Lewisburg Area School District participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) which includes the opportunity for qualified (based on income) individuals to enroll in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Parents/Guardians may contact their child’s school to obtain more information or an application, or access the Food Service Section on our district website (lasd.us - District Services) to obtain the application online. Point of Sale System Information and details on how to sign up, access, add money, or transaction costs are available in the Food Service Section of our district website (lasd.us - District Services). Student Meal Account Balance Notification Process 1. Low Balance Warning When the Student Meal Account reaches a low balance of fifteen dollars ($15.00), a notification containing a low balance warning will automatically be sent to the parent/guardian until the balance exceeds Fifteen Dollars ($15.00). Notifications for families who qualify for reduced breakfast/lunch will be sent when the Student Meal Account reaches five dollars ($5.00). Families who qualify for free breakfast/lunch will not receive low balance notifications. Any Student Meal Account that does not have an email for notification will be sent a postal letter. 2. Negative Balance Alert If a Student Meal Account reaches a balance of negative five dollars (-$5.00), a notification will be sent to the parents/guardians alerting them to the negative balance. The notification will also inform them that if the balance reaches negative twenty-five dollars (-$25.00), the matter will be turned over to the appropriate authorities for collection after 45 days. In addition, it will offer the parent/guardian the opportunity to discuss a repayment plan with our Director of Administrative Services, if it is financially necessary. Regardless of the amount of the debt, students will always be fed. 3. Collection Authorities If a Student Meal Account has held a negative balance for forty-five days or more, the Director of Administrative Services will check with the Building Principal to assess if there are extenuating circumstances occurring with the family. If extenuating circumstances exist, the Director of Administrative Services with work in collaboration with the Building Principal to address the issue. If no extenuating circumstances exist, then the Director of Administrative Services will turn the account over to appropriate collection authorities and inform the building principal and the Superintendent that such action has been necessary.