701.02 – Meal Charges

In accordance with state and federal law, the Colfax-Mingo 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.

K-6th Grades Procedure:

  1. Printed balance notification sent home with students $5.00 or below daily
  2. $0.00 balance or below, students will not be allowed to charge an extra entreé, extra milk, or a la carte
  3. Phone call made to parents/guardians by the nutrition department at -$5.00 or below daily
  4. If no response at -$25.00, building principal or district designee contact parent/guardian and makes arrangement for lunch.  SUggestions include cold lunch from home or cash.

7-12th Grade Procedure:

  1. Printed balance notification sent home with students $9.00 or below daily
  2. $9.00 or below, cashier verbalized balance to the student
  3. $0.00 balance or below, students will not be allowed to charge an extra entreé, extra milk, or a la carte
  4. $0.00 balance to -$15.00, students will be allowed to charge one meal per day (approximately 5 meals)
  5. -$15.00 or below, students may pay cash in the office or bring a cold lunch from home until funds are deposited into the student’s account.

Money must be available in a student’s account in order for extra meals, extra milk, or a la carte to be purchased.  This applied to all students, including students from families participating in the free and reduced meal program.

Students who qualify for free meals shall never be denied a reimbursable meal, even if they have accrued a negative balance e from previous purchases.  Students with outstanding meal charge debt shall be allowed to purchase a meal if the student pays for the meal when it is received.

Staff

Employees are expected to pay for all meals in a timely manner.  At -$5.00 or below, employees may pay cash in the office.  Negative balances must be paid at the end of the school year.

Notifications

For parents/guardian providing an email address, an email will be sent from the school district notifying parents/guardian of their students) a low balance on a daily basis until funds are deposited into the student’s account.  For parent/guardian not providing an email address, a printed balance notification will be sent home with students as stated above.

Date of Adoption: 6/18/2018