8531 - FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS

The Board of Education recognizes the importance of good nutrition to each student's educational performance.

The Board shall provide needy children with breakfast and lunch at a reduced rate or at no charge to the student.

Children, eligible for free or reduced-price meals, shall be determined by the criteria established by the Child Nutrition Program. These criteria are issued annually by the Federal government through the State Department of Education.

Parents or guardians will be required to fill out relevant information to determine student eligibility for Federal free or reduced-cost meal reimbursement rates and CEP eligibility determinations.

The Board designates the Business Manager and/or Food Service Management Company to determine in accordance with Board standards, the eligibility of students for free and/or reduced-price meals.

The schools shall annually notify all families of the availability, eligibility requirements, and/or application procedure for free and reduced-price meals by distributing an application to the family of each student enrolled in the school and shall seek out and apply for such Federal, State, and local funds as may be applied to the District's program of free and reduced-price meals.

However, in accordance with the provisions outlined in State Aid Section 31k, this procedure prohibits:

1. the requiring of any student who cannot pay for a school meal or who has a negative meal payment balance to wear a wristband or handstamp;
2. the requiring of any student who cannot pay for a school meal or who has a negative meal payment balance to perform chores or other work to pay for school meals;
3. the requiring of any student to dispose of a meal after it has been served because the student is unable to pay for the meal or has a negative meal payment balance;
4. communicating directly with a student about a student meal debt unless the District has attempted to contact, but has been unsuccessful in communicating with, a student's parent or legal guardian through telephone, mail, and email; and
5. discussing a negative meal payment balance with a student in the presence of other students.

© Neola 2023