2022-2023 School Food Program Reminders
The U.S. Congress recently announced that the USDA Meal waivers for Free School Meals will end on June 30, 2022. This means that we will return back to charging students for meals at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.
Families are reminded that they need to complete a NEW meal application for the 2022-2023 school year in order for the school to check eligibility for Free or Reduced Lunch and Breakfast. Free and Reduced price meal eligibility is a major factor in determining school-wide funding support from state and other resources. During the summer months or as we begin the new school year in August, please make sure you complete a new meal application form for the upcoming school year. A student may become eligible for free or reduced meals at any time during the school year if the household experiences a change in financial circumstances.
Summer Meal Sites for Children
A summer meal site can be utilized during the summer months to help meet children’s food security and nutrition needs when school meals are not available.
The Summer Food Service Program provides free meals to all children ages 1 through 18 years at participating sites statewide. Use any of the following tools to find an SFSP site near you:
1. Call 2-1-1
2. Text FOOD to 304-304
3. Access USDA’s SFSP site locator map at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks
Meal Account Balances
The District will ensure that families can check their meal account balances in a manner other than exclusively online. The District will ensure that at least one form of meal account payment is free of charge.
The District encourages families to pre-pay without charge for meals. Notwithstanding the option to pre-pay, students and families will have a method to add funds during the school day. Any balance remaining in a pre-paid account shall carry over into the next month. Households approved for free or reduced price meals with funds remaining in their meal account at the end of the school year may accept a refund. When a student leaves the District or graduates, the District shall attempt to contact the student’s household to return any funds remaining in the student’s meal account.
Unpaid meal charges may be carried over at the end of the school year as a delinquent debt and the District shall undertake reasonable collection efforts to collect unpaid meal charges classified as delinquent debt, pursuant to and in compliance with state and federal law. The District shall maintain records of its collection efforts and, once delinquent meal charges are converted to bad debt, its documentation establishing and handling of the bad debt.
At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, we will again be implementing our low lunch balance / negative lunch balance notification system.