Procedures Regarding Insufficient Meal Funds
What happens if my student arrives at school without food or money to purchase a meal?
(Excerpt from Administrative Procedure 4305.1 Regarding the Child Nutrition Program)
We appreciate having the opportunity to serve your students. To help us serve them efficiently, Parents/Guardians are expected to ensure meal account funds are kept current. To assist parents/guardians with monitoring student account purchases and balances, they are strongly encouraged to register online at MySchoolBucks. This site also has a low balance notification service (free) and provides the ability for one-time and automated meal account payment options (fee applies).
THE PROCEDURE BELOW APPLIES EVERY DAY SCHOOL IS IN SESSION
- CCPS strives to provide nutritionally balanced meals to students daily, even if they occasionally run out of money on their account or forget to bring money to purchase a meal. As a courtesy, students who have insufficient funds on their account will be allowed to borrow for the regularly scheduled meal as listed on the menu. There will be no borrowing for à la carte/snack purchases.
- School administration or designee will notify the parent/guardian via note, phone call or E-mail informing them that the school had to pay for their student’s meal and that the parent/guardian is responsible for repaying the amount owed to the school as soon as possible. The amount owed is to be paid directly to the school (not the cafeteria*) and cannot be repaid via MySchoolBucks.
*Special Note: As a convenience, a single check may be submitted to both repay money owed for meals and to add money onto a meal account as long as the amount being repaid to the school is listed in the “Memo” section of the check. Listing this information will alert the cashier in the cafeteria on how to divide the funds, helping ensure the school debt is repaid. Any remaining funds will be deposited onto the student’s account.
- Students may always purchase a meal with "cash in hand" regardless of the amount owed.
- As a courtesy, students will be notified by the cashier when their account balance drops below $5.00.
- Households are encouraged to submit a meal benefit application each year to see if they qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits. Both free and reduced-price meal benefits provide meals at no cost to families. Meal benefit applications are welcome anytime throughout the year.
- If occurrences become excessive and the debt remains unpaid, school administration in conjunction with the Student Services Department, will work with the family or local agency regarding follow-up.
- School administration or designee will work with parent/guardian to reclaim unpaid debt by the end of the school year.
- Information regarding the CCPS Insufficient Meal Funds procedure is provided in writing to households at the beginning of each school year and made available on the Calvert County Public Schools website.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.