Documents & Disclosures

Meal Program

Meal Charge Policy

8205-5 NON-INSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONS

Note: For the purpose of this policy, parent includes guardian, caretaker relative, and any adult responsible for the care of the child.

The goal of the Valier School District is to provide students with healthy meals each day. However, unpaid charges place a large financial burden on our Food Services Department. The purpose of this policy is to insure compliance with federal reporting requirements for the USDA Child Nutrition Program, and to provide oversight and accountability for the collection of outstanding student meal balances.

The intent of this policy is to establish uniform meal account procedures throughout the Valier School District.

FULL-PAY STUDENTS-K-12

K-12 grade students will pay for meals at the district’s established standard rate. The district prefers

meals be pre-paid. When a student balance is zero an email or paper reminder(sent with student)

is sent home. A student is allowed to charge until money is received. If reminders are sent home

with no response a second notice is sent home. Student is allowed to charge. If no response a phone

call is made. In most cases this is all that is necessary. If we do not receive payment, the students

account is sent to the Pondera County District Attorney’s office for collection.

Communication is the key to keeping your account balances to a minimum. If a student is without meal money on a consistent basis, the administration will investigate the situation more closely and take further action as needed. If financial hardship exist, parents and families are encouraged to apply for free or reduced price lunches for their child. This can be done at any time during the school year.

REDUCED MEAL BENEFIT K-12

Reduced status students will be allowed to receive a breakfast for $.30 and lunch for $.40 each day. The district prefers meals be pre-paid. We follow the same pattern for reminders and collection of funds as full-pay students.

FREE MEAL BENEFIT K-12

Free status students will be allowed to receive a free breakfast and lunch each day.

All school cafeterias possess computerized point of sale/cash register systems that maintain records of all monies deposited and spent for each student and said records are available by speaking with the elementary secretary.

Students/Parents pay for meals in advance by writing a check payable to Valier Schools. Cash is also accepted. Students are responsible for their own cash lunch money—the school will not replace stolen or lost cash. Parents that send a check for the account and the check is lost or does not appear on the account, may bring in a photo copy of the check from the bank to the office if it has been cashed. Mistakes happen and if the check was cashed by our food service, corrections to the account will be made as soon as possible. If a photo copy is not available, the deposit will not be replaced. It is very important to always get a receipt with a cash payment. Funds should be maintained in accounts to minimize the possibility that a child may be without meal money on any given day. Any remaining funds for a particular student will be carried over to the next year. Unless parents request a refund.

Refunds for withdrawn and graduating students are given the day the student checks out. If a graduating student has younger siblings there is the option to transfer funds to siblings account.

Unclaimed Funds must be requested within one school year. Unclaimed funds will then become the property of the Valier School District Food Service Program.

Adult Meals

Adults are not allowed to charge meals, as per USDA policy regarding school food service use of Federal NSLP funds.