Saginaw Township Community Schools

NUTRITION SERVICES DEPARTMENT

School Meal Charge Policy

Payment for school meals is expected at the time of purchase.  Parents or guardians are encouraged to monitor their child’s meal account balance online and keep an adequate amount of funds in the child’s account. To request online access to view your student’s school meal account, go to the District website at www.www.stcs.org and click on the Nutrition Services link under Departments.   Complete and submit the On-Line Access Request Form.  It is the parent’s or guardian’s responsibility to pay for or pack a child’s lunch when sending them to school. The Nutrition Services Department recognizes there might be occasions when a parent or guardian forgets to do so.  Although we strongly discourage the practice, as a courtesy to families; the following charge policy is in place:      

Elementary School Students:

• May charge up to three (3) lunches.  Charging for breakfast is not allowed.
• An emergency meal will be made available after 3 charges.  The emergency lunch consists of a cheese sandwich on whole grain bread, a serving of fruit and white milk.  The meal will be charged to the student’s account and the parent will be responsible for the outstanding charge.
• There is no emergency meal provided for breakfast.
• A la carte items, including milk, cannot be charged.
• No charging allowed two (2) weeks prior to the end of the school year.
• All meal charges must be paid off by the end of the school year.  Any unpaid charges will be carried forward to the next school year and count toward the student’s ability to charge.
• Money remaining in a student’s account will be carried forward to the next school year.
• Students are not permitted to purchase any a la carte items if they owe any unpaid charges.
• Students may not be permitted to participate in school events if they owe any unpaid charges.

Middle School and High School Students:

• May charge up to one (1) lunch.  Charging for breakfast is not allowed.
• An emergency lunch will be made available after 1 charge.  The emergency lunch consists of a cheese sandwich on whole grain bread, a serving of fruit and white milk.  The meal will be charged to the student’s account and the parent will be responsible for the outstanding charge.
• There is no emergency meal provided for breakfast.
• A la carte items, including milk, cannot be charged.
• No charging allowed two (2) weeks prior to the end of the school year.
• All meal charges must be paid off by the end of the school year.  Any unpaid charges will be carried forward to the next school year and count toward the student’s ability to charge.
• Money remaining in a student’s account will be carried forward to the next school year.
• Students are not permitted to purchase a la carte items if they owe any unpaid charges.
• Students may not be permitted to participate in school events if they owe any unpaid charges.

Additional Information:

• The Free and Reduced Meal Program is available for families experiencing financial difficulties.  Visit your school office or contact the Nutrition Services Department at (989) 793-9713 for an application.

Adults:

• Adults are not permitted to charge meals or a la carte items.

Unpaid Charges:

To avoid unpaid charges, parents or guardians are encouraged to monitor and/or pay on their child’s meal account with cash or check.  Schools recognize the importance of eating a healthy meal while at school, and have worked with their cafeteria manager on a plan to remind parents when charges are near their limit.  Once the student nears his/her limit, the cafeteria manager or school lunch cashier could provide any of the following reminders in an effort to help the student continue to receive school meals:

• Student receives a verbal reminder
• Parent or guardian receives a written note or letter via the student or in the mail, along with an application for free or reduced price meals
• Email
• Telephone call

Parents and guardians are responsible to pay off their child’s meal account. Any unpaid charges at the end of the school year remain the responsibility of the parent or guardian and will follow the student to the next school year. 

Unused Account Balances:

If your child has a balance left in his/her account at the time of graduation or withdrawal from school, you can request a refund for an amount over $5.00 by filling out a “Student Account Refund Request” form found on the Nutrition Services web page.  Or, you can “Pay it Forward” by donating your student’s account balance to a needy student’s school meal account.

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In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW     Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov.                                                                     

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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