Purpose

The purpose of this document is to establish consistent procedures for the Essex Westford School District to manage student charges for school meals, address students with insufficient funds in their school meal account, and collection of unpaid meal debt.

General Statement of Procedure

• The Essex Westford School District recognizes proper nutrition is essential for learning and to establish lifelong, healthy eating habits as it seeks to maintain the financial integrity of the District’s school meals program. 
  
  
• It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure the nutritional needs of students are met by supplying adequate food from home, working with the District to secure free and reduced-price meals, or through depositing funds into a student's online school meals account.
  
  
• It is the procedure of Essex Westford School District to offer all students high-quality and healthy breakfast and lunch options that meet federal guidelines at a reasonable cost to ensure no child goes hungry. 
  
  
• The Essex Westford School District must write-off uncollectible debt from student accounts annually. These amounts will impact the overall operations of the Child Nutrition Program for the District. As required by Federal regulation, any deficits in the Child Nutrition Program must be zeroed out at the end of each fiscal year by transferring funds from the general fund.  
  
  
• Payments to student meal accounts may be managed using the District’s school meal payment system. Parents/guardians may provide for student meal purchases using a debit/credit card, ACH checking account transfer, cash sent to building cafeteria coordinator or cashier at mealtime, or personal check (please write the name of the student(s) in the memo). Note that if a personal check is returned for insufficient funds, the parent/guardian is responsible for any banking fees. The parent/guardian is encouraged to use the online tools provided to families to manage their student’s school meals account. For details, visit the District’s Child Nutrition webpage.
  
  
• Families who are concerned about, or having difficulties addressing, the cost of food or school meals are encouraged to apply for free and reduced-price meals at any time during the school year. This is a confidential process that helps the District determine eligibility for benefits.
  
  The parent/guardian is encouraged to complete and return an application as soon as possible.
  
  Meal applications are distributed to households at the beginning of the school year.
  
  In addition, applications are available at the school office during regular hours and online at the District’s Child Nutrition webpage. If household size changes or income changes, families may re-apply for meal benefits any time during the school year. 

1. Households who apply for free and reduced-price meal benefits are responsible for payment of all school meals and accumulated charges until approval is granted.
   Federal guidelines allow a maximum of ten (10) days to approve a new application. No child is allowed a free or reduced-price meal without an approved application or direct certification information on file. The parent/guardian will receive a notification letter of the student’s eligibility showing the effective date. If a notification letter is not received within ten (10) days, the parent/guardian should check with the approving official at the school to see if the application has been received. 
   
   
2. Households who are receiving State assistance benefits will receive a notification of eligibility letter based on Direct Certification from the school if the school has received information about your child(ren). If your household receives these benefits and you have not received this letter from the school, the school has not received information regarding eligibility of your child(ren), the household must contact the school immediately to provide current information. 
   
   
3. Free and reduced-price eligible students may receive one (1) reimbursable breakfast and one (1) reimbursable lunch each day at no charge. 
4. A la carte items, such as a separate carton of milk or a second entrée, are not part of a reimbursable meal. 

Account Status Notifications

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities

The parent/guardian must take responsibility for knowing their student's account balance and are expected to keep sufficient funds in the student account to cover meal purchases. A parent/guardian can access their student's account in the following ways.

• Families can monitor their student’s account balance and fund their student's account online via the school meals portal of the District website. The parent/guardian is encouraged to set up notifications in the online payment system to help monitor their student’s account balance.
• Families may also contact the Child Nutrition Office at 802-857-7333 for account information.

Child Nutrition Responsibilities

The Child Nutrition Program is committed to open and effective communication with parents/guardians and students in an effort to make account management easy and ensure no child goes hungry. This will be demonstrated in the following ways:

• An attempt will be made to provide high school students with a verbal reminder of their account balance when approaching a negative, or in the negative.
• Emails or phone calls will be made to a parent/guardian whose children have a negative account balance.
• Notification to a parent/guardian on file when the student account reaches a negative balance of $10.
  
  

Insufficient Funds Procedure 

If the student account has insufficient funds to pay for breakfast and/or lunch meals the following procedures will be applied.

• K-8 Students: K-8 students will always be provided a “Class A” meal, juice, and/or milk, regardless of the account status. A la carte purchases beyond juice or milk will not be allowed if the student’s account is negative, or the purchase results in the account becoming negative.

• 9-12 Students (High School and Center for Technology): 9-12 students will always be provided a “Class A” meal, juice, and/ or milk regardless of the account status. A la carte purchases beyond juice or milk will not be allowed if the student’s account is negative, or the purchase results in the account becoming negative. 9-12 students are expected to remain aware of their meal account balance and to maintain a balance as necessary. When a student’s account is low or overdrawn, the cashier will attempt to give verbal notification of the account balance. 

Collection of Unpaid Meal Debt

When the student has a negative balance of $10, the following collection activities will be followed:

K-8 Students: A student who has an insufficient balance in their account will result in the following actions:

• School Cafeteria Coordinator will email or call parents/guardians whose child(ren) has a negative account balance.
• When the account reaches a negative balance of $10, the Child Nutrition Director will send an email to the parent/guardian asking the account be paid. If email is not practical the parent/guardian will be contacted by phone or mail. Communication will include how to access a free and reduced meal application and receive assistance with completing forms.
• If an account reaches a negative balance of $50, a second attempt will be made, this one from the Chief Operating Officer, will go to the parent/guardian informing them of the continued delinquency. Communication will include how to access a free and reduced meals application and assistance with completing forms, as well as information on community meals and services for families experiencing financial hardship. The Child Nutrition Program will inform the school principal and District student support services administration about unpaid school meal accounts that may result in third-party collections. 
• If an account reaches a negative balance of $100, a letter from the Superintendent will be sent to the parent/guardian informing them of the continued delinquency and the impact on the District. Communication will include how to access a free and reduced meals application and available resources to support families experiencing financial hardship. Families will be encouraged to contact the Child Nutrition Program to arrange a meeting to provide support for families and develop a plan for addressing unpaid meal debt. A parent/guardian will be notified that they have 7 days to bring the account current or their delinquent account may result in a variety of consequences, including being turned over to a third-party collections agency. 
• All negative balances must be paid prior to the end of the school year.

9-12 Students (High School and Center for Technology): A student who has an insufficient balance in their account will result in the following actions: 

• When the account reaches a negative balance of $10, the Child Nutrition Office will send an email to the parent/guardian asking the account be paid. If email is not practical the parent/guardian will be contacted by phone or mail. Communication will include how to access a free and reduced meal application and receive assistance with completing forms.
•  an account reaches a negative balance of $50, a second attempt will be made, this one from the Chief Operating Officer, will go to the parent/guardian informing them of the continued delinquency. Communication will include how to access a free and reduced meals application and assistance with completing forms, as well as information on community meals and services for families experiencing financial hardship. The Child Nutrition Program will inform the school principal and District student support services administration about unpaid school meal accounts that may result in third-party collections. 
• If an account reaches a negative balance of $100, a letter from the Superintendent will be sent to the parent/guardian informing them of the continued delinquency and the impact on the District. Communication will include how to access a free and reduced meals application and available resources to support families experiencing financial hardship. Families will be encouraged to contact the Child Nutrition Program to arrange a meeting to provide support for families and develop a plan for addressing unpaid meal debt. A parent/guardian will be notified that they have 7 days to bring the account current or their delinquent account may result in a variety of consequences, including being turned over to a third-party collections agency. 
• All negative balances must be paid prior to the end of the school year. 

The following may occur in the event an account remains negative beyond the end of the school year or for an extended period of time: 

• Monthly, the Child Nutrition Director will provide a list of students with delinquent accounts to building principal and District student support services administration. 
• The building principal may contact the household to discuss the requirement of the family to provide meals for the student.
• The building principal may contact the local social services office if the household refuses to provide meals or pay for student meals.

Date Adopted: 9/15/19, Date Revised: 10/6/19 

Download: Printable copy/PDF of School Meal Charge Procedure (PDF, opens in a new window)