Purpose
The Board recognizes that students require adequate, nourishing food and beverages in order to grow, learn and maintain good health. The Board directs that students shall be provided with adequate space and time to eat meals during the school day.
Authority
The food service program shall be operated in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations, as well as federal guidelines established by the Child Nutrition Division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
The district shall ensure that, in the operation of the food service program, no student, staff member, or other individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.[11][12]
Food sold by the school may be purchased by students and district employees but only for consumption on school premises. The price charged to students shall be established annually by the district in compliance with state and federal laws.[4][13]
Nonprogram food shall be priced to generate sufficient revenues to cover the cost of such items. A nonprogram food shall be defined as a food or beverage, other than a reimbursable meal or snack, that is sold at the school and is purchased using funds from the child nutrition account. Nonprogram foods include but are not limited to adult meals and a-la-carte items. All revenue from the sale of nonprogram food shall accrue to the child nutrition program account.[13][14]
Delegation of Responsibility
Operation and supervision of the food service program shall be the responsibility of the Business Manager.
The individual responsible for the operation and supervision of the food service program shall present to the Board each month for its approval a statement of receipts and expenditures for cafeteria funds.[4]
Cafeterias shall be operated on a nonprofit basis. A periodic review of the cafeteria accounts shall be made by the Business Manager.[3][4]
The individual responsible for the operation and supervision of the food service program shall ensure that school meals meet the standards required by the School Breakfast Program, the National School Lunch Program and the Special Milk Program.[2][3][4][6][7][8][9][10]
The Superintendent or designee shall comply with state and federal requirements for conducting cafeteria health and safety inspections and ensuring employee participation in appropriate inspection services and training programs.[15][16][17][18]
The Superintendent or designee shall develop and disseminate administrative regulations to implement this policy.
The Superintendent or designee shall annually notify students, parents/guardians and employees concerning the contents of this policy and applicable administrative regulations. Notification shall include information related to nondiscrimination.[11]
Guidelines
To reinforce the district's commitment to nutrition and student wellness, foods served in school cafeterias shall:[19]
- Be carefully selected to contribute to students' nutritional well-being and health.
- Meet the nutrition standards specified in law and regulations and approved by the Board.
- Be prepared by methods that will retain nutritive quality, appeal to students, and foster lifelong healthy eating habits.
- Be served in age-appropriate quantities, at reasonable prices.
The district shall use USDA Foods for school menus available under the Child Nutrition USDA Foods Programs.
All funds derived from the operation, maintenance or sponsorship of the food service program shall be deposited in the separate cafeteria fund, in the same manner as other district funds. Such funds shall be expended in the manner approved and directed by the Board, but no amount shall be transferred from the cafeteria fund to any other account or fund; however, district advances to the food service program may be returned to the district's general fund from any surplus resulting from its operation.[4]
Surplus accounts shall be used only for the improvement and maintenance of the cafeteria.[4]
Free/Reduced-Price School Meals and Free Milk
The district shall provide free and reduced-price school meals and/or free milk to students in accordance with the terms and conditions of the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program and the Special Milk Program.[20][21]
The district shall conduct direct certification three (3) times per year using the Pennsylvania Student Eligibility System (PA-SES) to identify students who are eligible for free school meal benefits without the need for submission of a household application. Direct certification shall be conducted:[20][21]
- At or around the beginning of the school year.
- Three (3) months after the initial effort.
- Six (6) months after the initial effort.
The district may also conduct direct certification on a weekly or monthly basis.
Accommodating Students With Special Dietary Needs
The district shall make appropriate food service and/or meal accommodations to students with special dietary needs in accordance with applicable law, regulations and Board policy.[22][23][24][25]
School Meal Service and Accounts
To ensure the effective operation of the district's food service program and delivery of school food program meals to students, the district shall:
- Assign individual school meal accounts to each student for the purchase of meals served in school cafeterias, which ensure that the identity of each student is protected.
- Notify parents/guardians when the student's school meal account reaches a low balance.
- Notify parents/guardians when the student's school meal account reaches a negative balance. The notice shall include information on payment options.
- Provide a school food program meal to each student who does not have the money to pay for the school food program meal or who has a negative balance in his/her school meal account, unless the student's parent/guardian has specifically provided written notice to the district to withhold a school food program meal.[3]
When a student owes money for five (5) or more school food program meals, the district shall make at least two (2) attempts to contact the student's parent/guardian and shall provide the application for free/reduced-price school meal benefits to the parent/guardian to apply for benefits under federal school meal programs. The district may offer assistance to parents/guardians with applying for free/reduced-price school meal benefits.[3][20][21]
Communications regarding money owed by a student for school meals shall be made to the student's parent/guardian, not the student, unless the student is an emancipated minor.[3]
The district shall be permitted to contact the student's parent/guardian by means of a letter addressed to the parent/guardian that is delivered by the student.[3]
District schools shall be prohibited from:[3]
- Publicly identifying or stigmatizing a student who cannot pay for a school food program meal or who has a negative school meal account balance.
- Requiring a student who cannot pay for a school food program meal to perform chores or other work to pay for the meal, unless chores or other work are required of all students regardless of their ability or inability to pay for a school food program meal.
- Requiring a student to discard a school food program meal after it was served to the student due to the student's inability to pay for the meal or due to a negative school meal account balance.
This policy and any applicable procedures or administrative regulations regarding school meal charges and school meal accounts shall be communicated annually to school administrators, school food service personnel, other appropriate school staff, and contracted food service personnel.
The district shall provide parents/guardians with a written copy of this policy and any applicable procedures or administrative regulations at the start of each school year, when a student enrolls in school after the start of the school year, and when a parent/guardian is notified of a negative school meal account balance.
The district shall annually inform parents/guardians, students and staff about the contents of this policy and any applicable procedures via the district website, student handbooks, newsletters, posted notices and/or other efficient communication methods.
Collection of Unpaid Meal Charges
Reasonable efforts shall be made by the district to collect unpaid meal charges from parents/guardians. Efforts taken in the collection shall not have a negative impact on the student involved, but shall focus primarily on the parents/guardians responsible for providing funds for meal purchases.
Procurement
Procurement of goods or services for the food service program shall meet the requirements of applicable law, regulations and Board policy and procedures.[26][27][28]
Professional Standards for Food Service Personnel
The district shall comply with the professional standards for school food service personnel who manage and operate the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. For purposes of this policy, professional standards include hiring standards for new food service program directors and annual continuing education/training for all individuals involved in the operation and administration of school meal programs. Such professional standards shall apply to both district-operated food service programs and contracted food service programs.[6][7][18][29]
School Food Safety Inspections
The district shall obtain two (2) safety inspections per year in accordance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations.[16][17][30]
The district shall post the most recent inspection report and release a copy of the report to members of the public, upon request.
School Food Safety Program
The district shall comply with federal requirements in developing a food safety program that enables district schools to take systematic action to prevent or minimize the risk of foodborne illness among students.[8][10][16]
The district shall maintain proper sanitation and health standards in food storage, preparation and service, in accordance with applicable state and local laws and regulations and federal food safety requirements.[17][30][31]