710.3 - Negative Lunch Balance

In accordance with state and federal law, the Algona Community School District adopts the following policy to ensure school district employees, families, and students have a shared understanding of expectations regarding meal charges. The policy seeks to allow students to receive the nutrition they need to stay focused during the school day, prevent the overt identification of students with insufficient funds to pay for school meals, and maintain the financial integrity of the nonprofit school nutrition program.

Payment of Meals
Students have use of a meal account. When the balance reaches $0.00 a student shall not be allowed to charge further meals or a la carte items until the negative account balance is paid. Families can add money to the account by paying at the school office or logging onto the school website and depositing money electronically.

Students who qualify for free meals shall never be denied a reimbursable meal, even if they have accrued a negative balance from previous purchases. Students with outstanding meal charge debt shall be allowed to purchase a meal if the student pays for the meal when it is received. The school district may provide an alternate meal that meets federal and state requirements to students who have charged the maximum allowance to the student account and cannot pay out of pocket for a meal.

Negative Account Balances
The school district will make reasonable efforts to notify families when meal account balances are low. Additionally, the school district will make reasonable efforts to collect unpaid meal charges classified as delinquent debt. The school district will coordinate communications with families to resolve the matter of unpaid charges. When a lunch account reaches negative status, those responsible for that account will receive notice via email. Paper copies and phone calls may also be used to communicate negative balances. Notifications of the account status will continue until the balance is positive. Negative balances will be turned over to the superintendent or superintendent’s designee for collection. Options for collection may include:  collection agencies, small claims court, or any other legal method permitted by law.  Exceptions may be made, at the discretion of the Superintendent, in an effort to correct negative accounts.

Communication of the Policy
The policy and supporting information regarding meal charges shall be provided in writing to:

• All households at or before the start of each school year;
• Students and families who transfer into the district, at time of transfer; and
• All staff responsible for enforcing any aspect of the policy. 

Records of how and when the policy and supporting information were communicated to households and staff will be retained.

The superintendent may develop an administrative process to implement this policy.

 

 

Legal Reference:         
42 U.S.C. §§ 1751 et seq.
7 C.F.R. §§ 210 et seq.
U.S. Dep’t of Agric., SP 46-2016, Unpaid Meal Charges: Local Meal Charge Policies (2016).
U.S. Dep’t of Agric., SP 47-2016, Unpaid Meal Charges: Clarification on Collection of Delinquent Meal Payments (2016).
U.S. Dep’t of Agric., SP 57-2016, Unpaid Meal Charges: Guidance and Q&A (2016).
Iowa Code 283A.
281 I.A.C. 58.

Adopted: June 12, 2017

Reviewed: 9/9/2024

Revised: 9/9/24