Code No. 707.4
Decorah Community School District
Food Service Negative Balance Policy
The Decorah Community School Food Service Department is a self-operating program. The district provides a breakfast and lunch Food Service Program for students to support healthy lifestyles and a balanced diet in accordance with law.
In order to maintain financial stability and equality of all students and staff paying for meals, the district must adopt a policy regarding meal accounts and balances.
The State of Iowa Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services recommends that negative account balances should not occur.
Each student has a computerized meal account. Parents/guardians can pre-pay money into the student’s meal account. Parents/guardians are responsible for monitoring the student’s account balance and depositing money into the account to ensure the student is able to purchase a meal if desired. To ensure positive account balances, student accounts may not exceed a specified negative balance amount, which will be determined by the district on an annual basis. When the negative charge limit is reached, the school district will notify parents/guardians. Any student accounts below the district negative balance amount will not be allowed to charge a breakfast or lunch until the account has a positive balance. If the student account balance is zero or negative, a la carte items may not be charged. Parents/guardians of students with accounts in arrears will be asked to send a meal from home or an alternate meal with milk may be given to the student, until the account is paid in full or a payment schedule is arranged with the school and adhered to by the parents/guardians.
Middle school and high school students are notified of low meal account balances daily at the register. Email notices are sent to parents/guardians regarding balances once the account reaches a positive $5.55 per individual or less which is set by the lunch system. Parents have the ability to set a higher limit if they wish. Additionally, weekly notices of low meal account balances are sent home with elementary school students.
The school district or an authorized third party may collect on delinquent meal accounts by exercising any and all remedies available in accordance with law. Parents/guardians who fail to make payments for charges incurred on student meal accounts may be taken to Small Claims Court in order for the school district to recover the fees owed and other costs associated with the collection.
This policy does not apply to any fees waived under an application for free or reduced price meals.
Date of Adoption: Legal References:
June 20, 2016 42 U.S.C. 1758, as amended by Section 204
of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010,
P.L. 111-296; 281 Iowa Administrative Code 58
Code No. 707.4R1
Decorah Community School District
Food Service Program and Procedures
2016-2017 School Year
The Decorah Community School Food Service Department is a self-operating program. The district provides a breakfast and lunch Food Service Program for students to support healthy lifestyles and a balanced diet in accordance with law.
|
School Lunch Information |
*Breakfast |
*Lunch |
Special Milk Program |
|
(milk is provided with each breakfast and |
lunch) |
|
|
|
PreK and ECSE Students |
$1.35 |
$2.20 |
$22.50 per semester |
|
Transitional Kindergarten to 4th Grade |
$1.35 |
$2.20 |
$25.00 per semester |
|
5th Grade to 8th Grade |
$1.40 |
$2.30 |
|
|
9th Grade to 12th Grade |
$1.50 |
$2.45 |
|
|
Adult |
$2.10 |
$3.45 |
|
|
Extra Main Dish |
|
$1.25 |
|
The school district offers breakfast and lunches to all students within the district. As a student’s meal account balance approaches zero or becomes negative, the follow procedures will apply:
Students may charge any combination of meals up to a negative account balance of $30.00. When the negative $30.00 charge limit is reached, the school district will notify parents/guardians. Students will not be allowed to charge a breakfast or lunch until the account has a positive balance. Parents/guardians of students with accounts in arrears will be asked to send a meal from home or an alternate meal with milk may be given to the student, until the account is paid in full or a payment schedule is arranged with the school and adhered to by the parents/guardians.
A la Carte: A la Carte items may be purchased only if the student meal account has a positive balance. If the account is negative, the student must bring cash to purchase a la carte items. Extra main is considered an a la carte item and is not allowed to be charged if the account is negative.
Milk: If the student would like additional milk or milk for a sack lunch, the cost is $.30. This is considered an A la Carte item.
Special Milk Program: Students in Preschool though 4th grade will have a snack milk break. Milk costs for these breaks are $22.50 per semester for Preschool and $25.00 per semester for Kindergarten through 4th Grade. If a student will not participate in the milk break, please let the teacher know. Snack milk is not part of the free and reduced meal program.
Free and Reduced Application: Free and reduced price breakfast/lunch applications are available in each school office. Applications are valid for one school year, and must be renewed each year. If a student qualified last school year, the parents/guardians have 30 school days from the start of the next school year to reapply or the student will be put back to full-priced meals. If a student does not qualify now, but becomes eligible sometime during the school year, an application can be
submitted at that time. Questions regarding the free and reduced price meal program should be directed to the Food Service Administrative Assistant at the Central Administration Office at (563) 382-4208.
*If the student qualifies for free or reduced price meals, the cost of the breakfast/lunch is adjusted according to the Federal guidelines.
Date of Review: April 9, 2018
Date of Adoption: Legal References:
June 20, 2016 42 U.S.C. 1758, as amended by Section 204
of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010,
P.L. 111-296; 281 Iowa Administrative Code 58