FOOD SERVICES

FOOD SERVICES

po8500Adopted June 20, 2016Revised May 12, 2026

8500 - FOOD SERVICES

The Board shall provide cafeteria facilities in all school facilities where space and facilities permit, and will provide food service for the purchase and consumption of lunch for all students.

The Board shall also provide a breakfast program in accordance with procedures established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) School Breakfast Program. 

The food-service program may participatein the Farm to School Program using locally grown food in school meals and snacks.

The food-service program shall comply with Federal and State regulations pertaining to the selection, preparation, delivery, consumption, and disposal of food and beverages, including but not limited to the current USDA school meal pattern requirements and the USDA's Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, as well as to the fiscal management of the program. Further, the food-service program shall comply with Federal and State regulations pertaining to the fiscal management of the program, as well as all the requirements pertaining to food service hiring and food service manager/operator licensure and certification. In addition, as required by law, a food safety program based on the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system shall be implemented with the intent of preventing food-borne illnesses. For added safety and security, access to the facility and the food stored and prepared therein shall be limited to food service staff and other authorized persons.

The District’s food service program shall serve only food items and beverages determined by the Food Service Department to be in compliance with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition guidelines. Any competitive food items and beverages that are available for sale to students a la carte in the dining area between midnight and thirty (30) minutes following the end of the school day shall also comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition guidelines, and may only be sold in accordance with Board Policy 8550 - Competitive Food Sales. Foods and beverages not associated with the food-service program may be vended in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth in Board Policy 8540 - Vending Machines.

The District Administrator will require that the food service program serve foods in the schools of the District that are wholesome and nutritious, and reinforce the concepts taught in the classroom.

No food or beverage may be sold on any school premises except in accordance with the standards approved by the Board.

Dietary Modifications

Modifications Based on Complaint Medical Documentation

An adult student or student's parent requesting special dietary accommodations for a student with a disability that restricts the diet must provide the Medical Statement for Special Dietary Needs signed by a State-authorized medical authority, which is a medical professional including Registered Dietitians (RDs) or Registered Dietitians Nutritionists (RDNs) authorized in the State of Wisconsin to write prescriptions. The request must contain the following information:

  1. an explanation of how the student’s physical or mental impairment restricts the diet;
  2. the food(s)/type(s) of foods to be avoided;
  3. the food(s)/type(s) of foods to be substituted;
  4. additional pertinent information, if any, that will assist in accommodating the student's needs.

If a Medical Statement for Special Dietary Needs is incomplete, unclear, or lacks sufficient detail, the special dietary accommodation coordinator or food service director shall request that the student or parent request that the medical authority supplement the response so that a safe meal can be provided. In situations where a medical statement or Individual Education Plan (IEP) is not immediately available, is incomplete, or requires additional clarification, the meal modification should still be made if there is enough information to provide a safe meal.

A special dietary accommodation for a student who has a disability that restricts the student’s diet must be supported by a Medical Statement for Special Dietary Needs, which should be submitted to  the Food Service Director who shall serve as the Special Dietary Accommodation Coordinator (Lori Snapp, 604 7th Avenue East, Durand, WI, 54736, 715-672-8919, lsnapp@durand.k12.wi.us

A student with a disability may have an IEP or 504 plan that requires specific instruction, services, or accommodations related to the student’s nutritional needs. If a student’s IEP or 504 plan contains the same information that is required on a Medical Statement for Special Dietary Needs, then it is not necessary to obtain and submit a separate Medical Statement for Special Dietary Needs. Form PI-6314 can be obtained from the Department of Public Instruction (https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/forms/pdf/f6314-english.pdf).

The individual making an initial request for such substitutions must inform the Food Service Director or Special Dietary Accommodation Coordinator that the student has a disability that restricts the student's diet. The School District will honor the request upon receipt of the required documentation from a state-authorized medical authority. In situations where a medical statement or IEP is not immediately available, is incomplete, or requires additional clarification, USDA regulations require that the meal modification still be made if there is enough information to provide a safe meal. If the Special Dietary Accommodation Coordinator is unable to grant a requested accommodation following receipt of the medical authority's statement, the student or parent shall be provided with an explanation of the basis for the decision. Compliant requests shall be immediately implemented.

Disability Accommodation Grievance Procedure

The following procedure is intended to provide prompt and equitable resolution to any concern or disagreement regarding the food service program's administration of meal modifications made or requested on the basis of a student's disability. None of the procedures described in this policy section shall prevent a student or parent from pursuing a complaint with any State or Federal agency, including the USDA, using the procedures described at the end of this policy. 

  1. If an initial request for accommodation in the form of substituted meals is denied, the student or parent may request review of that decision by the Building Principal and shall provide any communications between the student or parent and food service officials concerning the accommodation request, any documentation provided by a medical authority, and any additional information the student or parent believes is pertinent to the decision. A review of the materials provided and of the initial decision shall be completed, and a response provided to the student or parent as soon as practicable following receipt of the request for review. If the initial decision is reversed, including due to additional information provided on review, the dietary accommodations shall be implemented without delay. If the initial decision is affirmed, the decision is final   
     
  2. Any other complaint or disagreement with the food service administration concerning the implementation of special dietary accommodations based on a student's disability shall be presented to the Special Dietary Accommodation Coordinator. The student or parent shall specify the nature of the concern and any requested remedy in writing. The Coordinator shall promptly review the grievance and either contact the student or parent for any required clarification of the request or to seek to reach an agreement regarding how to best address the concern. If no agreement is reached, the Coordinator shall make a determination and notify the student or parent in writing as soon as practicable. If the grievance is affirmed in any respect, the Coordinator shall propose a plan for implementing appropriate remedial measures. If the student or parent is dissatisfied with the Coordinator's determination, the student or parent may submit a written request to the Building Principal or District Administrator for review. The administrator's determination shall be final.

Modifications Based on Noncompliant Medical Requests

On a case-by-case basis, substitutions to the standard meal requirements may be made, at no additional charge, for students who provide a signed statement from a qualified medical authority that the student cannot consume certain food items due to medical or other special dietary needs, but which does not comply with the requirements above. To qualify for such consideration and substitutions, the medical statement must identify:

  1. the medical or dietary need that restricts the student's diet; and
  2. the food(s) to be omitted from the student's diet and the food(s) or choice of foods that may be substituted.

Modification Based on Student/Parental Preference

When a request for a special dietary accommodation is not supported by an authorized Medical Statement for Special Dietary Needs or included in a student’s IEP or 504 plan, the School District cannot provide modified meals that are not in compliance with USDA Child Nutrition Program requirements. However, the Board authorizes the following:

  1. Fluid Milk Substitution

    The School District shall have no legal obligation to accommodate a student’s or a parent's preference for a fluid milk substitute if there is no Medical Statement for Special Dietary Needs on file requiring such a substitute. However, the District will assist the student in choosing a reimbursable meal through offer versus serve (OVS).
  2. General Dietary Preference

    The School District shall have no legal obligation to accommodate a student’s or parent’s general health, nutrition, or food preferences. However, the District will assist the student in choosing a reimbursable meal through offer versus serve (OVS).

IMPLEMENTATION AND DISCONTINUATION

Review

Upon receipt of a request for a special dietary accommodation, the Food Service Director or Special Dietary Accommodation Coordinator shall review the request to ensure it is supported as required by Federal law and District policy, and if not, shall request additional or clarifying information from the student or parent making the request.

Implementation

When the need for a special dietary accommodation is supported by a Medical Statement for Special Dietary Needs signed by a State-authorized medical authority, the District will offer a reasonable modification that effectively accommodates the student’s disability. Following USDA Child Nutrition Program regulations, the School District may consider factors such as cost and efficiency, and is not required to prepare a specific meal, provide a specific brand of food, or provide a meal beyond the meals provided to other students.

For students who have an IEP or 504 plan that requires specific food-related accommodations, the School District shall provide the accommodation as required by law, seeking clarifying medical information, as necessary.

A special dietary request will be approved and implemented upon submission of a completed authorized medical statement. In situations where a medical statement or IEP is not immediately available, is incomplete, or requires additional clarification, USDA regulations require that the meal modification still be made if there is enough information to provide a safe meal.

Student Absence

If a student receiving a special dietary accommodation is absent or does not wish to participate in school lunch on a day an accommodation is planned, the student or parent shall contact the Special Dietary Accommodation Coordinator by 9:00 a.m. the same day.

Renewing A Special Dietary Request

An authorized Medical Statement does not need to be updated annually. However, the Special Dietary Accommodation Coordinator may annually seek clarification or updates on special dietary requests.

Discontinuation of a Special Dietary Request

A special dietary request or part of a request may be discontinued by a parent by submitting the request in writing to the Special Dietary Accommodation Coordinator, or shall be discontinued consistent with the medical authorities' recommendation provided with the Medical Statement for Special Dietary Needs.

The District may provide a student with a substitute meal without any certification, provided that the meal still meets the USDA meal pattern for reimbursement.

Meal Charges

The operation and supervision of the food-service program shall be the responsibility of the Food Service Director. Food services shall be operated on a self-supporting basis with revenue from students, staff, Federal reimbursement, and surplus food. The Board shall assist the program by furnishing available space, initial major equipment, and utensils. Maintenance and replacement of equipment are the responsibility of the program.

A periodic review of the food-service accounts shall be made by the Food Service Director. Any surplus funds from the National School Lunch Program shall be used to support the operation and improvement of the school meal program(s) through allowable expenditures as determined by the District Administrator. Surplus funds from a la carte foods purchased using funds from the nonprofit food-service account must accrue to the nonprofit food-service account.

SCHOOL MEAL PAYMENT AND PURCHASE REQUIREMENTS

The Goal of the District’s breakfast and lunch program is to provide healthy meals for allstudents each school day. Achieving this goal is in part dependent upon generating thefinancial resources necessary to fund the school meal program. Primary fundingsources for our school meal program are the Federal government and the meal pricescharged to families. Federal funds cover the cost of meals for children who come fromhouseholds with incomes below defined levels.

To help families in need, notification of the Free and Reduced Application process will be made prior to the beginning of the school year. Free and Reduced Applications will be available throughout the school year.

Families NOT meeting federal income requirements for FREE meals are expected to pay the cost of meals consumed by their child(ren). When each family pays for the meals consumed by their child(ren) everyone pays their appropriate share. The District does not support the concept of higher meal prices so that some families can go without paying for their child(ren)’s meals. Therefore, the District will require timely and full payment for meals purchased and collection of all outstanding payments due.

The Federal USDA Child Nutrition Program does not require children with an outstanding balance on their account to be served a meal.

Parents and guardians must plan for their child to have sufficient access to food at school each day and must actively monitor and manage their child’s school food service account. The designated Food Service Payor (1 parent or guardian only)...the one listed first on the email listings may access all meal account status and activity on the parent portal of Skyward Family Access.

The student’s household will begin receiving low balance notifications when the account falls below $20.00 via the automated email messaging system. Automated email messages will run on M-W-F. Families and staff are expected to prepay and have sufficient funds in their accounts to cover the cost of meals or additional à la carte items purchased. Parent(s) are notified when the account is in the negative, indicating that additional money must be added to the account to continue receiving breakfast/lunch for the student(s). Accounts due should not be allowed to exceed one week, and when it does, the parent(s) should send a sack lunch or money for their student(s). After one week, if the account is still in the negative, no further purchases will be allowed to be made on the account.

Students who qualify for free breakfast/lunch shall not be denied participation in the program because of an outstanding account. However, à la carte items will not be permitted if funds are not available in the family account to pay for à la carte items.

Payments may be made to family meal accounts by bringing a check or cash to their child’s school office, by making online payments through Skyward Family Access, or by mailing payments to Durand-Arkansaw School District, Lunch Program, PO Box 190, Durand, WI 54736.

Unpaid Meal Charges 

Unpaid meal charges incurred through the inability to collect meal payment from students are an unallowable cost to the nonprofit school food service account.
Delinquent debt is when payment for unpaid meal charges is overdue to the nonprofit school food service account. It is considered collectible while efforts are being made to collect it. The delinquent debt remains on the accounting documents until it is either collected or written off. Delinquent debt may be carried over year to year as long as the student is still enrolled at the school food authority (SFA). 
Bad debt is when local officials have determined that further collection efforts of unpaid meal charges are uncollectable. When this happens, the delinquent debt must be re-classified as bad debt and written off as an operating loss. Since the nonprofit school food service account cannot be used to cover the bad debt, a transfer from the general fund, state or local funds, school or community organizations such as the PTA, or from donated funds must be made to cover the total amount of bad debt. When delinquent debt is converted to bad debt, records of this must be kept in accordance with the records retention requirement in 7 CFR 210.9(b) (17) and 7 CFR 210.15(b). 
Any related collection cost, including legal cost, arising from such bad debt after they have been determined to be uncollectable, is also unallowable. District efforts to collect bad debt shall be in accordance with Policy 6152 - Student Fees, Fines, and Charges.

Negative Account Balances

Students will be permitted to purchase meals from the District's food service using either cash on hand or a food-service account. A student may be allowed to incur a negative food-service account balance subject to the following conditions.

Students may be permitted to accumulate a negative food-service account balance as determined by the District Administrator. The District Administrator shall determine the manner of determining permissible account balances by grade level. A student shall not be permitted to purchase a la carte items without a sufficient account balance or cash on hand.

A student who has exceeded the permissible negative balance amount in their account and does not have cash on hand sufficient to purchase a meal will be treated respectfully. The District will provide meals to students with unpaid meal balances without stigmatizing them, will provide parents of students who charge meals with notification when a student charges a meal, and will make efforts to collect the charges incurred by the students.

If a student has a significant negative lunch account balance, they shall be provided a regular reimbursable meal that follows the USDA meal pattern, the cost of which shall continue to accrue to their negative lunch account balance.

This policy and any implementing guidelines shall be provided in writing to all households at the start of each school year and to households transferring to the school or School District during the school year. The policy and implementing guidelines will also be provided to all District staff with responsibility for enforcing the policies.

With regard to the operation of the school food-service program, the District Administrator shall require:

  1. the maintenance of sanitary, neat premises free from fire and health hazards;

  2. the preparation and consumption of food that complies with Federal food safety regulations;

  3. the purchase of foods and supplies in accordance with State and Federal law, USDA regulations, and Board policy (see Policy 1130, Policy 3230, and Policy 4230);

  4. compliance with food holds and recalls in accordance with USDA regulations;

  5. the accounting and disposition of food-service funds pursuant to Federal and State law and USDA regulations;

  6. the safekeeping and storage of food and food equipment pursuant to USDA regulations.

Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf or https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/school-nutrition/pdf/sfa-civil-rights-complaints-procedure-template.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted 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; or
     
  2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
     
  3. E-mail: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Revised 5/17/17
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T.C. 8/17/22
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T.C. 5/12/26

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