Policy 4200 – Meal Charges

This policy and implementation procedures will address serving students with insufficient, delinquent, or negative meal account balances during the school day.

All students will be treated with dignity and confidentiality in the serving line regarding meal accounts.

No student will be denied a meal regardless of unpaid food service accounts.

Meals will not be taken away from a student after they are served.

Second meals and a la carte purchases are prepaid or cash only.

No second meals or a la carte purchases will be allowed if a student has a negative meal account balance.

All students who attend schools operating under the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) may have breakfast and lunch at no cost.

Any student transferring from a CEP school where meals are free, to a non-CEP school where meals are served based on student eligibility status, will have a 30-day grace period in free meal status to give them time to submit a Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMs) application.

HCPSS Food and Nutrition Services will make reasonable efforts to communicate with families when meal account balances are low or fall below zero and to resolve the matter of unpaid meal charges.

Where appropriate, families may be encouraged to apply for FARMs benefits for their children anytime during the school year.

Collection of meal charge balances owed at the end of the school year will follow HCPSS’s procedures on student fees, fines, and charges.

Adults, including HCPSS employees and non-HCPSS students will not be allowed to charge for a meal.

The Superintendent/designee will ensure compliance with this policy.

Parents will ensure payment of all meals provided to their child, including payments on negative balances.

HCPSS employees will treat all students with dignity and confidentiality regarding meal accounts.

A La Carte Items – A variety of additional, approved, and compliant food items that may be purchased to complement school meals or meals brought from home. These extra purchases require funds to be available (on meal account or in hand) at the time of purchase.

Community Eligibility Program (CEP) – A non-pricing meal service option that allows eligible schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of income.

Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMs) – Free or reduced-price meals are available to students if household income and family size meet the federal guidelines. Families who earn less than 130% of the poverty level are eligible for free meals and those with incomes between 130% and 185% of poverty level qualify for reduced price meals. Students are automatically eligible for free meals if the family receives assistance under the Food Supplement Program, Medicaid, or Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) benefits.

HCPSS Employee – Any individual who is a permanent or temporary employee of the HCPSS whose compensation is paid in whole or part by the Board, including but not limited to, school-based administrators, teachers, substitute teachers, paraeducators, and other school-based and Central Office support staff.

Meal Account – An account that is set up by parents to deposit money in to make payments for their student’s school meals.

Meal Charge – A debt or debit that is applied to a student’s meal account when the account balance reaches a zero balance and/or becomes negative.

Parent – Any one of the following, recognized as the adult(s) legally responsible for the student:

School Day – The period from midnight (12:01a.m.) to 30 minutes after the dismissal bell for students.

Second Meal – An additional meal purchased by a student the same school day. The meal is not eligible for federal reimbursement and must be paid for at the full published price.

Student – An individual enrolled in a public school system or non-public school in the State who is 5 years of age or older and under 22 years of age.