Pay for Meals

Important Note:

If you have any questions or concerns about paying an outstanding balance, please call Misha Lawyer at (803) 425-8906.  We are here to help you and are able to work with families on an individual basis.

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Unpaid Meal Charges

Purpose

Although unfortunate, every year the Kershaw County School District (KCSD) has numerous student meal accounts that go unpaid, causing a financial hardship on the district’s food service budget. In order to address the matter in a consistent and sensitive manner, a districtwide committee of parents and staff was formed to provide recommended guidelines for dealing with the issues. Their input was combined with feedback from principals to develop the procedures listed in this document.

The goals for these procedures are:

• To treat all students with dignity in the serving line regarding meal accounts,
   
• To support positive conditions with district staff, district business policies, students and parents/guardians to the maximum extent possible,
   
• To encourage parents/guardians to assume the responsibility of meal payments and to promote self-responsibility of the students, and
   
• To establish a consistent district policy regarding charges and collection of charges.

Responsibility

The Coordinator of Nutrition and Food Services is the approving authority for these procedures and subsequent modifications. The food service managers are responsible for ensuring compliance with these procedures. The managers will monitor situations involving these procedures and technicians will adhere to these procedures. The Coordinator or designee will perform periodic inspections to ensure compliance with procedures.

Procedures

• Families are encouraged to apply for free and reduced price meal benefits annually. Any family that falls into a negative balance will receive notifications of their negative balance and will be encouraged to apply for free or reduced price meal benefits.  Please note that completing meal benefit applications will not remove previous balances owed.
   
• Families of students with delinquent accounts will receive phone calls and emails via the districts messaging system every Tuesday evening with the amount due in order to try and collect payment.
   
• Families of students with delinquent accounts will receive written notices home with the students as follows:
   
  • Elementary schools will notify families weekly
     
  • Secondary schools will notify families 2 times per month
     
• Families are encouraged to pre-pay for meals. Payment can be made online through www.myschoolbucks.com or money can be paid directly to the school cafeteria.
   
• Written notification of prepayment options is posted on the KCSD Food Service website and included in student handbooks at the beginning of each school year as well as provided to each new transfer student.
   
• If a student who has a delinquent account has money and intends to use it to purchase that day’s meal, cafeterias may not use the child’s money to repay previously unpaid charges.
   
• All students with negative balances are not allowed to buy extra food such as a la carte items.
   
• All delinquent accounts at the beginning of May of the current school year will be subject to collections for payment.
   
• These Unpaid Meal Charge Procedures will be included in the district’s online registration information. This information will also be posted on the District and Food Service websites.

Collection Procedures:

Note: The expectation is that all fees owed to the district will be paid in full in a timely manner.

• When a student’s unpaid meal balances reaches -$50.00, the Food Service District Office will be notified to make contact with the parent/guardian.
   
• 1st notification- A letter will be mailed to the family of the student with a delinquent account stating the amount owed must be paid in full in 30 days. If not made current within those 30 days, a late fee of $15 will be assessed.
   
• 2nd notification- After the 30 days, a second letter will be mailed to the family of a student with a delinquent account imposing a $15 late fee and allowing an additional 15 days to pay the amount owed.
   
• District employees who are delinquent on their own students’ accounts may be subject to payroll deduction.