802.05R1 School Meal Charge Plan

Friday, August 11, 2023

Banner County School Meals Charge Policy

Purpose and Goals:

The purpose of this policy is to establish consistent meal account procedures.  

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.
  • To support positive and clear communication among staff, administrators, teachers, students and parents/guardians. 
  • To establish fair practices that can be used for all meal accounts. 
  • To encourage parents/guardians to assume the responsibility of meal payments. 
  • To establish a consistent practice regarding charges and collection of charges.

Scope of School Responsibility:

  • Maintain meal account records.
  •  Notify parents/guardians of outstanding balances by phone, email, text, and/or mail. 
  • Communicate with parents/guardians on collection of outstanding balances. 
  • Provide a means for parents/guardians to make meal account payments through mail, school office, or online.

Parent/Guardian: 

  • Maintain a positive balance in your children’s meal accounts. 
  • Apply for free or reduced price meal benefits to avoid an outstanding balance.  Application for meal benefits can be made at any time during the school year. 
  • Contact Banner County School to resolve any issues with your children’s meal accounts. 

Policy, Payment Options, and Procedures:

  • No PK-12 students will be denied a meal due to an outstanding balance.  All menu items will be offered.
  • Meal payments can be mailed or paid at the school office with no associated fees, or payments can be made online at e~Funds for Schools which includes a transaction fee.
  • If a family has a meal account with an outstanding balance of $25 or more, the parent/guardian will be mailed monthly requests for payment until the account has a positive balance.
  • In the middle of May, all parents/guardians who have accounts with an outstanding balance will be sent a written request for prompt “Payment in Full.”
  • Seniors must pay all charges before attending graduation. 

In the middle of June, all parents/guardians who have accounts with an outstanding balance will be contacted by phone or mail to make arrangements to have the balance “Paid in Full.”