On District letterhead, website, in student handbook, newsletters, bulletins, and/or calendars

Date:

To:    Parents/Guardians, Students, and Staff

Re:    Eligibility and Meal Charge Notifications

The following notification is provided at the beginning of each school year as federally required notification regarding eligibility requirements and the application process for the free and reduced-price food services that are listed in Board policy 4:130, Free and Reduced-Price Food Services and 4:140, Waiver of Student Fees. For more information, see fns.usda.gov/school-meals/unpaid-meal-char..., and/or contact the Building Principal or designee.

Free and Reduced-Price Food Services Eligibility

When the parents/guardians of students are unable to pay for their child(ren)’s meal services, meal charges will apply per a student’s eligibility category and will be processed by the District accordingly.

A student’s eligibility for free and reduced-price food services shall be determined by the income eligibility guidelines, family-size income standards, set annually by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and distributed by the Ill. State Board of Education. 

Meal Charges for Meals Provided by the District

The Building Principal and District staff will work jointly to prevent meal charges from accumulating. Every effort to collect all funds due to the District will be made on a regular basis and before the end of the school year. Contact your Building Principal or designee about whether your child(ren)’s charges may be carried over at the end of the school year, i.e., beyond June 30th.

Unpaid meal charges are considered delinquent debt when payment is overdue as defined by Board policy 4:45, Insufficient Fund Checks and Debt Recovery and the Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act (105 ILCS 123/, added by P.A. 100-1092). The District will make reasonable efforts to collect charges classified as delinquent debt. 

When a student’s funds are low or there is a negative balance, reminders will be provided to the staff, students, and their parent(s)/guardian(s) at regular intervals during the school year. State law allows the Building Principal to contact parents(s)/guardian(s) to attempt collection of the owed money when the amount owed is more than the amount of five lunches [or insert lower amount]. If a parent/guardian regularly fails to provide meal money for the child(ren) that he/she is responsible for in the District and does not qualify for free meal benefits, the Building Principal or designee will direct the next course of action. Continual failure to provide meal money may require the District to notify the Ill. Dept. of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and/or take legal steps to recover the unpaid meal charges, up to and including seeking an offset under the State Comptroller Act, if applicable. 

LEGAL REF.:    Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296).

7 C.F.R. §245.5.

105 ILCS 123/, Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act.

23 Ill.Admin.Code Part 305, School Food Service.

UPDATED:    January 22, 2019