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PAS toughens lunch payment policy
With the new school year come new policies.
One such change at Pipestone Area Schools is the strengthening of the school lunch program payment policy that would allow the district to take parents to small claims court if they don’t pay their child’s lunch payments.
The policy change is an attempt to avoid the thousands of dollars in unpaid lunch fees incurred each school year, such as the $6,493 during the 2008-09 school year.
Other than the threat of small claims court, the revised policy is much the same as the previous policy, stating that all accounts must be paid in advance.
“It works like a checking account,” said Cathy Rogers, PAS food service director. “They need to have money in the account.”
A notice is sent to parents or students when five meals — $11 at $2.20 per meal — remain on their account. Another notice is sent when one meal remains. When the account drops into the negative, a due date for the payment will be sent. Unpaid accounts will either be forwarded to a collection agency or taken to small claims court.
According to the policy, “If an individual account is not current by the designated date, the student will not receive a hot lunch.”
Instead, the student will receive a peanut butter or cheese sandwich and milk.
“We are required to give students three components of a full meal,” Rogers said. “The peanut butter is the protein, the bread is the grain and the milk is the dairy.”
If payment is a hardship for the family, the family is advised to contact Rogers to arrange a payment plan and the district will assist parents in filling out an application for free or reduced lunches. All students receive a free and reduced lunch rate application at the beginning of every year, Rogers said, but some families who are eligible don’t fill out the form.
It’s not that the district wants to take families to small claims court or take food away from students, Rogers said, but the lunch program cannot operate in a deficit. Staff must get paid and Rogers would prefer not to raise the cost of the lunches to offset the unpaid fees.
“The reason we have the balances is because it’s difficult to do,” Rogers said. “We do not want to take lunches away from children.”
Typically, the staff will notice if students have a negative balance when they enter their account number to pay for their meal. The kitchen employee will then take the tray of food from the student and throw it away, replacing it with a peanut butter or cheese sandwich and milk.
It’s not pleasant, Rogers said, but she believes it’s the best way to get the message across. It also seems to be effective. Generally, she said, after one or two days of peanut butter or cheese sandwiches, the bill is paid.
“Basically we just want parents to be responsible,” she said. “We’re very willing to work with you. If you need to wait until the end of the week, fine. Some people have come in with a few dollars whenever they can. That’s fine, as long as they’re trying.”
The cut off point for the substitution of the peanut butter or cheese sandwich varies. Rogers said it depends on the willingness of the family to work out a payment plan, whether the family contacts the school to explain the situation and the age of the student.
Typically there are only five or six elementary students each year whose lunch payments fall behind and are given the peanut butter or cheese sandwich alternative compared to 20 to 25 middle and high school students. Rogers also said the kitchen staff is more discrete with the elementary students, giving them their sandwiches in a paper bag.
“Times are difficult, it’s tough for everybody,” she said. “That’s why we say just call. As long as I talk to a parent, as long as I know what the situation is, we won’t take meals away.”
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