Board Policy JGH: Food Service

CHARGE MEAL POLICY

Section 1. Purpose

1. “DeKalb School Nutrition Services (SNS) program provides healthy nutritious meals and promotes nutrition education and wellness in support of teaching and learning. DeKalb SNS recognizes that unpaid meal charges directly impact the SNS meal program and the families of DeKalb County.

Section 2. Charge Meal Policy

1. “Elementary students will be allowed to charge up to three breakfast and three lunch meals. Secondary schools (Middle and High) are not permitted to charge meals. Adult meals and À-La-Carte items cannot be charged.

2. “Charge balance letters will be sent to the parent(s)/guardian(s) weekly and Principal monthly.

Section 3. Prepayments

1. “School Nutrition operates a computerized point of sale that provides parents with the convenience of making prepayments into student accounts at the school with cash/check or on the District School Nutrition Services webpage. Parent(s)/guardian(s) are responsible for meal payments and for ensuring the student’s account remains in good standing.

Section 4. Refunds and/or Transfers

Refunds and/or Transfers can be requested for graduating or withdrawing students in writing, by contacting School Nutrition Services or by completing the online form with the following information:

• School Name
• Student Name and/or Student 7-digit ID Number
• Amount of refund
• Name as it should appear on the refund check
• Mailing address
• Reason for Refund

Unclaimed funds for enrolled DeKalb County School District (DCSD) students will carry over to the next school year automatically. Graduating or withdrawing students must complete a request for a refund within one school year of the graduating or withdrawing date.

Section 5. Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF)/Chargebacks are handled by the District vendor for debt collections

The approved vendor for debt collection will pursue payment for NSF checks on behalf of DeKalb School Nutrition Services.

Section 6. Reclassification of Charge Meal Balances, Delinquent Accounts and Bad Debt:Delinquent Accounts

A delinquent account occurs when an account is negative, and payments throughout the school year are not recovered to bring the account current.

Alternative Funding for Delinquent Accounts

Donations will be used to reduce delinquent accounts and outstanding annual charges. These funds may come from community organizations, the District’s general fund and/or any other non-federal sources.

Delinquent Accounts Reclassified as Bad Debt

Section 200.426 Subpart E of the Code of Federal Regulation states that bad debt is not permissible for School Nutrition Programs. Bad Debt as defined in regulation 2 CFR 200.426 “debts which have been determined to be uncollectable. ” School Nutrition Services funding cannot be used to cover costs related to bad debt. Remaining delinquent accounts will become a negative account receivable liability for the school site(s) and reclassified as Bad Debt prior to the upcoming school year.

Bad debt, records must be maintained in accordance with the record retention requirements in 7 CFR 210.9(b) (17) and 7 CFR 210.15(b) five years plus the current year.