Meal Charge Policy and Procedures

The Franklin School Committee is committed to providing students with healthy, nutritious meals each day so they can focus on school work, while also maintaining the financial integrity of meal programs and minimizing any impact on students with meal charges. However, unpaid meal charges place a large financial burden on the school district, as food services is a self-supporting entity within the district. The purpose of this policy is to ensure compliance with federal reporting requirements of the USDA Child Nutrition Program, as well as provide oversight and accountability for the collection of outstanding student meal balances.

KEY TERMS

• Reimbursable Meal Lunch:  A reimbursable meal contains at least three (3) of the five (5) offered meal components (grain, meat/meat alternative, fruit, vegetable, and milk).  In addition, one of these components must be a fruit and/or vegetable.

• Reimbursable Meal Breakfast: A reimbursable meal that contains at least three (3) items offered through 3 (3) components (Grain, Fruit, and Milk.  Meat/Meat Alternative may be substituted when the grain minimum is met.  Vegetables may also be offered additionally). In addition, one of these components must be a fruit and/or vegetable.

• Non-Reimbursable Meal:  Non-reimbursable meals are not part of the USDA School Nutrition Program  These meals cannot be charged and must be paid for at the time of sale with cash or check or via pre-paid funds on account.  A lunch that does not contain at least three (3) of the five (5) offered meal components (grain, meat/meat alternative, fruit, vegetable, and milk) and does not include a fruit and/or vegetable as one of those components is considered a non-reimbursable meal. A breakfast that does not include three (3) items from three (3) components (grain, fruit, and milk.  Meat/Meat Alternative may be substituted when the grain minimum is met.  Vegetables may also be offered additionally) and does not include a fruit and/or vegetable as one of those components is considered a non-reimbursable meal.  Non-reimbursable meals do not qualify as a meal under Universal Free Meals.

• Second Meals:  An additional meal consisting of one (1) or more components of the offered meal sold on an a la carte basis.  Second meals are not part of the USDA School Nutrition Program and do not qualify under Universal Free Meals.  Second meals cannot be charged and must be paid at full price at the time of sale with cash, a check or pre-paid funds on account.

• A la carte Items:  A snack, bottled water, juice, milk (priced individually, not part of a reimbursable meal) or any single component of a meal.  A la carte items do not qualify under Universal Free Meals and must be paid for at the time of sale with cash, check payable to Franklin School Lunch or pre-paid funds on account.

• Free Meal:  A reimbursable meal (breakfast or lunch) served to a student who is directly certified or approved as eligible for Free meal benefits.

• Reduced Price Meal:  A reimbursable meal (breakfast or lunch) served to a student who is directly certified or approved as eligible for Reduced meal benefits. 

• Online Prepaid Account:  An account on the Food Service Department’s payment process system which provides, a free online service that enables parents/guardians to access their student’s school lunch account, view recent transactions and account balance, setup low balance alerts and automatic payments, and make pre-payments on account by e-check or major credit card.  The account is free, however there is a small transaction fee charged by the payment processing system for online payments.  The transaction fee is collected by the payment processing system and does not benefit the Franklin Public Schools or Franklin School Lunch Program.

• School Meal/School Lunch Account:  An account assigned to every student in the district, regardless of whether or not they participate in the school meal program.  Students access their account by keying in their unique ID on PIN pads located at each register.  Cashiers can also look up accounts by entering a student’s name.  Data required to be reported to federal and state agencies is maintained through the Point of Sale (POS) system.  Student eligibility status and other personal information is securely contained within the school meal account to assure confidentiality.  In order to participate in the school meals programs, this account is required for every student and cannot be closed. 

• Good Standing:  A school meal/lunch account with a zero or positive balance.

• Payment:  Cash or check paid daily for school meals or a la carte items, or with prepaid funds on account.

• Prepayment:  Funds on account.  Pre-payment is accepted in the form of cash or a check payable to “Franklin School Lunch” at any register, or through the online pre-payment service using an e-check or major credit card.

• Charge:  Purchasing a reimbursable meal without making payment at the time of purchase with cash, a check, or pre-paid funds on account.

METHOD OF PAYMENT

Meeting children’s nutritional needs is an important part of their learning experience. The responsibility for the child's account remaining in good standing rests with the parent or guardian.  

Franklin Public Schools accepts pre-payments of cash or check payable to Franklin School Lunch at any register or e-checks and major credit cards via the online payment processing system.  Cash or check at the time of purchase is also accepted at any register.

Parents/Guardians are encouraged to sign up for a free online account with the online payment processing system.  This service provides access to families to view recent transaction history, request e-mail alerts for low balances, make payments and pre-payments to a student’s account and set up automatic deposits to a student’s account.  There is a small transaction fee that is charged by the online payment processing system for online payments, however the Franklin Public Schools does not benefit from or collect those fees.  Information on accessing the online payment processing system is available on the Food Service Office website.

UNIVERSAL FREE MEALS

• Students regardless of eligibility are entitled to receive one (1) free meal per meal period per day.  The meal must contain all of the necessary components or items as defined above.  Meals that do not meet the proper requirements are not eligible for Universal Free Meals and payment is required.

STUDENT ACCOUNTS 

Based on guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the district recognizes that the school food service account cannot be used to cover the cost of charged meals that have not been paid.

The Food Service Office is responsible for ensuring that the School Meal/Lunch Accounts are properly managed and accurately reported.  The cafeteria managers and Food Service Office will monitor student school meal accounts with the goal of eliminating negative balances and delinquent accounts. When an account has a negative balance the cafeteria manager or School Office may send a letter or e-mail to the parent or guardian of the child.  If no payment or collection is made, the Food Service Department or the School Office will contact the parent or guardian in an attempt to settle or collect the unpaid balance. If there is a financial hardship, the Food Service Department will discuss payment options such as an individualized repayment plan and provide some additional resources that may be available for families.

The Food Service Department will make every effort to collect unpaid balances and will contact parents/guardians via email, regular postal mail or phone regarding deficit balances.  Parents/guardians are encouraged to contact food services directly to discuss payment options. 

Student negative balance amounts are retained in the Food Service Department’s point of sale system until resolved. That account information is available either online or through the Food Service Office. Account balances are updated daily. Payments may take up to 24 – 48 hours to appear on the student’s account and to update on the registers at the child’s school, but usually credit to account within 15 minutes.

All outstanding school lunch account balances must be paid in full prior to the end of the school year. If further collection actions are needed, the Food Service Director will bring the issue to the School Principal and/or School Business Administrator for further collection actions.  Thereafter, the Food Service Department will track negative balances and report same to the School Business Administrator prior to the close of the school year (June 30th).  If necessary, the School Business Administrator shall cause a journal entry to be made to charge the uncollected debt to the School budget appropriation.

CREDIT BALANCES AND REFUND POLICY

If a student has funds on a prepaid account, any balance at the end of the year will carry over to the following school year. Any balances can be transferred to another student (sibling, friend or neighbor),. Transfers can be made between family members through their account. Requests for assistance can be made by calling or e-mailing the Food Service Office. 

Any amount at or above $25 remaining as a credit balance will be refunded upon request. Such request can be made one time per calendar year.

After one (1) year of inactivity any remaining credit balance on a school lunch account for a student who is no longer enrolled in the Franklin Public Schools via unenrollment or graduation from the FPS, will become the property of the Franklin School Lunch Program. The funds will be used as a donation to the School Lunch Program to offset uncollected debt.

Adopted by School Committee:  6/26/2018                                                                                                                                         

Reviewed, no revisions:   6/24/2020

Reviewed, Revised, Adopted by School Committee:  6/18/2024