Millis Public Schools
Meal Charge Policy
5.4.5
I. Purpose/Policy:
The purpose of this policy is to establish consistent meal account procedures
throughout the district. There is a fine balance that needs to be attained between
the solvency of the food service program and the nutritional needs of students. The
goals of this policy are:
To ensure that all students have a healthy meal and that no child goes hungry.
To treat all students with dignity and confidentiality in the serving line
regarding meal accounts.
To support positive and clear communication among staff, administrators, teachers,
students and parent/guardians.
To establish fair practices that can be used throughout the school district.
To encourage parent/guardians to assume the responsibility of meal payments and
to promote
self-responsibility of the student.
To establish a consistent practice regarding charges and collection of charges.
II. Scope of Responsibility:
The Food Service Department: Responsible for maintaining charge records and
notifying the school district of outstanding balances.
The School District: Responsible for notifying the student's parent/guardian with
written documentation.
The Parent/Guardian: Immediate payment.
III. Administration:
1. All students K-12 will be allowed to charge a maximum of two (2) meals at any
given time.
a. These meals
will include only menu items part of the reimbursable
meal.
b. After the
second offense, the student will be given a designated menu
alternate.
Sample: Cheese
sandwich, veggies sticks, fruit, milk.
2. This meal will be rung in the register as a "PAID" meal (in order for the
district to receive federal reimbursement).
3. After the second offense, the school district will be directed to place a
telephone call and/or send written notification to the parent/guardian
indicating:
a. the debt
b. the
inability for further full meals, i.e., their child will be given an
alternative meal.
c. the
availability of free/reduced meal.
4. For departmental record-keeping, the cashier will enter the child's name,
grade, teacher and amount owed into the log book noting the 1st, 2nd offense and the
date the school district was notified.
5. When a parent/guardian has applied for free/reduced meal but before the school
has been notified of eligibility, the student will be given an alternative meal.
6. If the parent/guardian's application for free meal status is approved then the
balance owed for unpaid meals shall be forgiven. If the application for reduced meal
status is approved then the balance owed for unpaid meals shall be recalculated at
the reduced meal rate, with payment due within ten calendar days of written
notification to the parent/guardian.
7. In the middle of May, all charging will be cut off:
a.
Parents/guardians will be sent a written request for "Payment in Full".
b. All charges
not paid before the end of the school year will be carried forward
into the next school year.
c. Seniors must
pay all charges before graduation as stated in the High School
Handbook.
8. No a la carte items may be charged.
9. An alternative to charging may include the student being sent to the
principal's office to borrow from an established fund.
1st reading - October 6,2009
2nd reading - Waived - October 20,2009
3rd reading - October 20, 2009
Approved by the Millis School Committee - October 20,2009