Policy 6750 - Meal Charge

The intent of this policy is to establish a process and procedure to handle situations when children eligible for reduced-price or full-price meal have insufficient funds to pay for school meals; as well as for the collection of unpaid meal charges and delinquent account debt. 

Definitions 

A. Unrecovered or delinquent debt is defined as meal charges that have not been paid by the student(s) or parent(s). The debt is classified as delinquent as long as it is considered collectable and efforts are being made to collect it. The debt may be carried over from year to year. 

B. Bad debt is defined by Federal Regulations (2 CFR 200.426) as unrecovered or delinquent debt that, after all reasonable steps have been taken and it has been determined to be uncollectable. When unrecovered or delinquent debt becomes bad debt, it is written off as an operating loss. Bad debt is unallowable under the Federal National School Lunch Program and cannot be carried over to the next school year. Funds resulting from bad debt cannot be recovered using federal funds and must be offset by non-federal sources. Unrecovered or delinquent debt in place at the time of this policy’s adoption may be deemed as bad debt if there is ample evidence to show the various ways the District communicated with the parents about the debt, what efforts were made to collect the debt and any extenuating circumstances. 

It is the goal of the Richland School District to provide nutritious meals to students to promote healthy eating habits and enhance learning. It is also a priority of the District to maintain the financial integrity of the District’s Nutrition Services Department. 

The Superintendent will draft Rules and Regulations to implement this policy. 

Legal References:

Adoption: