School Meals Charge Policy

Friday, June 2, 2023

School lunch

Purpose and Goals

The purpose of this policy is to establish consistent meal account procedures. The goals of this policy are:

  • To ensure that all students have a healthy meal and that no child goes hungry.
  • To treat all students with dignity and confidentiality in the serving line.
  • To support positive and clear communication among staff, administrators, teachers, students and parents/guardians.
  • To establish fair practices that can be used for all meal accounts.
  • To encourage parents/guardians to assume the responsibility of meal payments.
  • To establish a consistent practice regarding charges and collection of charges.

Scope of School Responsibility

  • Maintain meal account records.
  • Notify parents/guardians of outstanding balances by phone, email, text, and/or mail.
  • Communicate with parents/guardians on collection of outstanding balances.
  • Provide a means for parents/guardians to make meal account payments through mail, school office, or online. 

Parent/Guardian

  • Maintain a positive balance in your children’s meal accounts.
  • Apply for free or reduced price meal benefits to avoid an outstanding balance. Application for meal benefits can be made at any time during the school year.
  • Contact Banner County School to resolve any issues with your children’s meal accounts. 

Policy, Payment Options, and Procedures

  • No PK-12 students will be denied a meal due to an outstanding balance. All menu items will be offered.
  • Meal payments can be mailed or paid at the school office with no associated fees, or payments can be made online at e~Funds for Schools which includes a transaction fee.
  • If a family has a meal account with an outstanding balance of $25 or more, the parent/guardian will be mailed monthly requests for payment until the account has a positive balance.
  • In the middle of May, all parents/guardians who have accounts with an outstanding balance will be sent a written request for prompt “Payment in Full.”
  • Seniors must pay all charges before attending graduation.
  • In the middle of June, all parents/guardians who have accounts with an outstanding balance will be contacted by phone or mail to make arrangements to have the balance “Paid in Full.”