The school district will operate a school nutrition program for each attendance center.  The school nutrition program will include meals through participation in the National School Lunch Program.  Students may bring their lunches from home and purchase milk and other incidental items.

School nutrition program facilities are provided to serve students and school personnel when school is in session and during school-related activities.  They may also be used under the supervision of the director of food service for food service to employee groups, parent-teacher meetings, civic organizations meeting for the purpose of better understanding the schools, and senior citizens in accordance with the law and board policy. 

The school nutrition program is operated on a nonprofit basis.  The revenues of the school nutrition program will be used only for the operation or improvement of such programs.  Supplies of the school nutrition program will only be used for the school nutrition program. 

The board will set, and annually review, the prices for school nutrition programs.  It is the responsibility of the superintendent to make a recommendation regarding the prices of school nutrition programs, in accordance with federal and state law. 

It shall be the responsibility of the director of food service to administer the program and to cooperate with the superintendent and appropriate personnel for the proper functioning of the school nutrition program.

 

 

Legal Reference:  42 U.S.C.. §§1751 et seq.
                                      7 C.F.R. §§210 et seq.
                                      Iowa Code §283A.
                                      281 I.A.C.58.

Cross Reference:  710.2   Free or Reduced Cost Meals Eligibility
                                      710.3   Vending Machines
                                      710.4   Meal Charge Policy
                                      905     Use of School District Facilities and Equipment

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  5-08-17              
Revised:  5-08-17

 

Students enrolled and attending school in the school district who meet the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) eligibility guidelines will be provided the school nutrition program services at no cost or at a reduced price.  The school district will make every effort to eliminate any social stigma attached to, and prevent the overt identification of, students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

The district shall annually notify all families of the availability, eligibility criteria, and application procedures for free or reduced-price meals in accordance with state and federal law.

It is the responsibility of the business manager and superintendent to determine the eligibility of students for free or reduced-price school nutrition programs, in accordance with criteria established by state and federal law.  If school personnel have knowledge of a student who is in need of free or reduced-price meals, school personnel shall contact the business manager or superintendent. 

Employees, student not qualified for free meals and others will be required to pay for meals consumed.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to develop administrative regulations for implementing this policy.

 

 

Legal Reference:  42 U.S.C. §§1751 et seq.
                                      7 C.F.R. §§210 et seq.
                                      Iowa Code  §283A.
                                      281 I.A.C. 58.

Cross Reference:  710.0    School Nutrition Program
                                      710.3    Vending Machines
                                      710.4    Meal Charge Policy

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  5-08-17              
Revised:  5-08-17

 

In accordance with state and federal law, the Bennett Community School District adopts the following policy to ensure school district employees, families, and students have a shared understanding of expectations regarding meal charges.  The policy seeks to allow students to receive the nutrition they need to stay focused during the school day, prevent the overt identification of students with insufficient funds to pay for school meals, and maintain the financial integrity of the nonprofit school nutrition program.

 

Payment of Meals

Students have use of a meal account.  When the balance reaches -$10.00 a student may charge no more seconds of main offered to this account.  When an account reaches -$20.00, a student shall not be allowed to charge further meals or a la carte items until the negative account balance is paid.  Families may add money to student accounts by payment at school office.

Students who qualify for free meals shall never be denied a reimbursable meal, even if they have accrued a negative balance from previous purchases.  Students with outstanding meal charge debt shall be allowed to purchase a meal if the student pays for the meal when it is received.  The school district may provide an alternate meal that meets federal and state requirements to students who have charged the maximum allowance to the student account and cannot pay out of pocket for a meal.

Employees may use a charge account for meals, but may charge no more than -$20.00 to this account.  When an account reaches this limit, an employee shall not be allowed to charge further meals or a la carte items until the negative balance is paid.

 

Negative Account Balances

The school district will make reasonable efforts to notify families when meal account balances are low.  Additionally, the school district will make reasonable efforts to collect unpaid meal charges classified as delinquent debt.  The school district will coordinate communications with families to resolve the matter of unpaid charges.  Families will be notified every Wednesday of the month.  Negative balances of more than $50.00, not paid prior to the end of the month, will be turned over to the superintendent or superintendent’s designee for collection.  Options for collection may include:  collection agencies, small claims court, or any other legal method permitted by law.

 

Communication of the Policy

The policy and supporting information regarding meal charges shall be provided in writing to:

• All households at or before the start of each school year;
• Students and families who transfer into the district, at time of transfer; and
• All staff responsible for enforcing any aspect of the policy.

Records of how and when the policy and supporting information were communicated to households and staff will be retained.

The superintendent may develop an administrative process to implement this policy.

 

 

Legal Reference:  42 U.S.C. §§ 1751 et seq.
                                      7 C.F.R. §§ 210 et seq.
                                      U.S. Dept of Agric, SP 46-2016, Unpaid Meal Charges: Local Meal Charge Policies (2016).
                                      U.S. Dept. of Agric., SP57-2016, Unpaid Meal Charles:  Guidance and Q&A (2016)
                                      Iowa Code 283A
                                      281 I.A.C. 58

Cross Reference:  710.1    School Food Program
                                      710.2    Free or Reduced Cost Meals Eligibility
                                      710.3    Vending Machine

Approved:  5-8-17                
Reviewed:  5-8-17                
Revised:  5-8-17

 

The records of the school food program shall be accurate and up-to-date.  It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee to maintain the records of the program in compliance with this policy and the accounting system of the school district.

The food service department shall report their activities to the board on a monthly basis.

 

 

Legal Reference:  42 U.S.C.S. §§1751-1785
                                      Iowa Code Chapter 283A (1991)
                                      281 Iowa Admin. Code 58

Cross Reference:  504.6    Student Fund Raising
                                      701        School Food Service

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:  5-08-00

 

Financial records of the school district are maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) as required or modified by law.  School district monies are received and expended from the appropriate fund and/or account.  The funds and accounts of the school district will include, but not be limited to:

 

Governmental fund type:                                                      Proprietary fund type:

General fund                                                                                  Enterprise fund

Special revenue fund                                                                 School nutrition fund

Management levy fund                                                             Child care fund

Public education and recreation levy fund (PERL)       Internal service fund

Student activity fund                                                                   Fiduciary funds:

Capital projects fund                                                                  Trust funds

Physical plant and equipment levy fund (PPEL)            Expendable trust funds

Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE)        Nonexpendable trust funds

Debt Service Fund                                                                      Pension trust funds

Account groups:                                                                       Agency funds

General capital assets account group

General long-term debt account group

 

The general fund is used primarily for the education program.  Special revenue funds are used to account for monies restricted to a specific use by law.  Capital projects funds are used to account for financial resources to acquire or construct major capital facilities (other than those of proprietary funds and trust funds) and to account for revenues from SAVE.  A debt service fund is used to account for the accumulation of resources for, and the payment of, general long-term debt principal and interest.  Proprietary funds account for operations of the school district operated similar to private business, or they account for the costs of providing goods and services provided by one department to other departments on a cost reimbursement basis.  Fiduciary funds are used to account for monies or assets held by the school district on behalf of, or in trust for, another entity.  The accounts groups are the accounting records for capital assets and long-term debt.

The board may establish other funds in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and may certify other taxes to be levied for the funds as provided by state law.  The status of each fund must be included in the annual report.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent to implement this policy and bring necessary changes in the maintenance of the school district’s financial records to the attention of the board.

 

 

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code 291; 298; 298A  281 I.A.C. 98.

Cross Reference:  704 Revenue
                                       705 Expenditures

Approved:  3-13-17              
Reviewed: 11-09-20            
Revised: