Negative Balance Policy

1. Students will be charged for all reimbursable meals, even when their account is at a negative balance.
2. A student who has accumulated unpaid charges for complete meals and is still unable to pay will not be denied a reimbursable meal.
3. Students may not charge a la carte items.
4. All money collected will be posted to the student’s meal account. A student with money in hand will not be denied a meal even if the student has past due charges.
• A student with money in hand will be denied a la carte purchases if their account is at a negative balance. All money collected will be posted to the student’s meal account.

The nutrition services department will provide the following notifications to parents/guardians:

1. The nutrition services department will provide timely notification to parents/guardians when account balances run low and/or when a student begins charging meals. Initial notifications are made via e-mail, through MySchoolBucks.
2. The nutrition services department will invoice parents/guardians for unpaid meal charges during the district’s monthly billing cycle, in addition to providing notification of outstanding balances by other means.
   • Other means include: phone calls to parents, letters via U.S. Mail, involving school administration and counseling services
     • For accounts that are negative more than $50, Nutrition services will reach out via phone and/or US Mail on a weekly basis in an attempt to collect funds
3. The district will turn over unpaid meal charge balances to a collection agency when the superintendent or designee determines such action is in the best interest of the district.