Charge Policy

FRHC Meal Charging Policy

I. Purpose

The goal of the Flat Rock-Hawcreek Schools is to provide students with healthy meals each day. However, unpaid charges place a large financial burden on our Food Services Department. The purpose of this policy is to insure compliance with federal reporting requirements for the USDA Child Nutrition Program, and to provide oversight and accountability for the collection of outstanding student meal balances.

The intent of this policy is to establish uniform meal account procedures at FRHC. The provisions of this policy pertains to regular priced school breakfast and lunch meals only. While the USDA Child Nutrition Program does not require that a student who pays for regular priced meals be served a meal without payment, the FRHC Food Service Department will extend courtesy to those students in the event that they forget or lose their lunch money.

II. Policy

Full Pay Students - Elementary and High School Students will pay for meals at the district’s published standard rate each day. Students must prepay or pay cash at the register for all meals and a la carte purchases. When a student’s account balance reaches zero, no a la carte items will be sold to the student, and he/she will only be offered the option of a full meal that is charged the standard rate. Negative balance information will be sent to parents nightly by the email provided upon enrollment and prompt payment is expected.

Free Meal Benefit - Free status students will be allowed to receive a free breakfast and lunch each day. A la carte purchases must be prepaid.

Reduced Meal Benefit - Reduced status students will be allowed to receive a breakfast for $.30 and lunch for $.40 each day. Students must prepay or pay cash at the register for all meals. When a student’s account balance reaches zero he/she will not be allowed to charge any a la carte items, and he/she will only be offered a full meal that is charged to the child’s meal account at the reduced rate. Negative balance information will be sent to parents nightly, and prompt payment is expected.

Staff Meals- All purchases require prepayment or pay cash at the register. Staff accounts are required to hold a positive balance.

Students/Parents/Guardians – You are responsible for your child’s meal accounts. Upon notification of a deficient account, payment should be promptly made.

Payment Options - Payments can be made to the FRHC food service department via Cash or Check, or online Credit/Debit prepayments can be made via www.efunds.com. Funds should be maintained in accounts to minimize the possibility that a child may be without meal money on any given day. Personal notifications, and auto-pay can also be created within Efunds as you set up your account.

All FRHC lunchrooms possess computerized point of sale/cash register systems that maintain records of all monies deposited and spent for each student. Those records are available by setting up an account at www.efunds.com or in your Family access for Skyward and going to the Food Service Tab.

Debt Repayment - Our finance department can assist you with setting up a debt repayment plan upon request.

Refunds –Withdrawing students, or Graduating students with no younger siblings with less than 5.00 in His/Her account must have a Parent/Guardian submit an email or written request for a refunds of any money remaining in their account.

Graduating students with younger siblings - Positive account balances for graduates will be transferred to younger siblings enrolled at FRHC.

Carryover balance - Any remaining funds or deficient balances are carried over to the next school year for all reenrolling students.

Unclaimed Funds -

The district will make every effort to return all money over $5.00 to the account holder that is no longer in the school corporation. If attempts are unsuccessful, unclaimed funds will then become the property of the FRHC Food Service Program.

Delinquent Debt - All accounts must be settled by the last day of school. All unpaid meal charges will be considered delinquent after notices that charges are due, and no payment or payment plan agreement has been made. The district will determine if the debt is collectable, and will make every reasonable effort to collect, including taking legal collective action when the Superintendent or designee determine such action is in the best interest of the district. Additional court fees will be applied to the delinquent balance.

Applying for assistance

If financial hardship exists, parents and families are encouraged to apply for free or reduced price lunches for their child Via: Skyward Food Service Application. If you don’t have access to internet, paper applications are available in the school offices. All balances accrued prior to free or reduced status approval are considered collectible monies owed, and must be collected.

Account neglect

If a student is without meal money on a consistent basis, or has a substantial balance the administration is obligated to investigate the situation more closely and take further action as needed.