Parents or guardians should ensure their child has available funds in their school food service account.  Food service payments can be made on the online payment system or in the school office with a check or debit/credit card.

Free and Reduced Meals

Families  must fill out the free or reduced meal application on an annual basis. For families who don’t qualify, all meals served will be charged to student accounts.   Charged meals remain on a student’s account even if a student later qualifies for free or reduced meals, so it is important to turn in the application as soon as possible at the beginning of the school year or when family circumstances change. 

Food service account activity can be checked any time on the student information system under Family Access. Parents or guardians can subscribe to receive a low balance alert email notification from the student information system when their student’s food service account balance reaches $10.00.   Students in middle and elementary school will receive a note to take home to their parents when their account is low on funds. High school students will receive a verbal notification when their account is low on funds.

Students with a zero or negative meal account balance who purchase breakfast and/or lunch will be charged for their meals. Ala Carte options (not including milk) are not able to be charged to a student’s account. 

No student will be denied a breakfast or lunch unless a parent/guardian has filled out the Meal Charging Restriction Form. 

Communication Process

When a student’s meal account balance has reached the negative status, the following will occur:

-$.01 to -25 

• Robo calls home to parent/guardian 3 times per week.
• Automated letter and free/reduced meal application including Letter to Households addressed to parent/guardian will be emailed home once the account is over -25.

-$25 to -$50 

• A telephone call will be made by the principal, assistant principal or school counselor to the parent/guardian to determine if there are household issues that may prevent the student from having sufficient funds to pay for school meals. Families will be encouraged to fill out the free/reduced meal application (see procedure 6700P).
• Families will be notified that they may fill out the Meal Account Restriction form to restrict charges to their student’s account. 
• Robo calls will continue.
• Negative balance emails will be sent from the student information system at the end of each month.

 

Over –$50

• The district will follow procedure 6700P to determine if the student is categorically eligible for free meals.  The school will make no fewer than 2 attempts to contact the student’s parent/guardian to have them submit an application and may offer any other appropriate assistance.  

 

End of School Year Negative Food Service Balance Notification

A statement will be emailed to the parent/guardian of all students with balances equal to or greater than -$35.00 at the end of the school year requesting payment. If left unpaid, negative balances will roll over to the next school year.  All negative meal balances will remain on a student’s account until they have been paid. 

 

Inactive/Withdrawn Students

Any student with a negative food service balance who is no longer enrolled in La Center School District will have a grace period of 30 days from the withdrawal date to pay the amount due before the account is sent to collections regardless of the dollar amount.  The district office will email the parent/guardian of inactive/withdrawn students to notify them of the amount due.

 

If the parent/guardian is unable to pay the full balance, they may arrange a payment plan. If the parent does not contact the district office upon receipt of the notice or if the payment plan is not followed, the parent/guardian will be notified that the account is being turned over to collections. 

 

References:   SP 46-2016 USDA-Unpaid Meal Charges:  Local Meal Charge Policies

HB 2610 Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights

28A.235.270 RCW Free or reduced-price meals – School prohibitions

3520 – Student Fees, Fines, Charges

6700 – Nutrition, Health and Physical Education

La Center School District

Adopted: June 27, 2017; Revised July 24, 2018,  May 28, 2019, September 22, 2026