Managing Unpaid Meal Charges - schoolnutrition.org · • Palm Beach FL - Nation’s ‘School Lunch Fairy’ to help kids’ lunch debts is from Wellington • New Jersey - School

© COPYRIGHT 2018 SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION | #ANC18 | LAS VEGAS, NV


Managing Unpaid Meal Charges


Panelists & Disclosures

• Sandra Ford, SNSChief Support Services Officer,

Manatee County School District, FL

• Sandi KramerChild Nutrition Director

Yankton School District, SD

• Madeline BeckerProgram Analyst

School Programs Branch

USDA FNS, Alexandria, VA

• Jean Ronnei, SNSEmployee: ProTeam Foodservice Advisors

St. Paul, MN


• New Mexico passes “Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act” (April 2017)

⎻ Schools must serve reimbursable meals, regardless of ability to pay

⎻ Prohibits “shaming” & communicating with students about debt

⎻ No $$ to offset debt

• National media attention spurs more legislation:⎻ Federal “Anti-Lunch Shaming Act of 2017” (H.R. 2401, S.1064 – no action)

⎻ More than a dozen state bills introduced

Federal & State Legislation


Unpaid Meal Charges

Headlines• Willmar MN - might pull sports, prom, parking privileges from

students if parents, after multiple chances, still don't pay lunch debts.

• Oregon - Banning ‘lunch shaming’• CNN - School lunch shaming: Inside America's hidden debt

crisis • Palm Beach FL - Nation’s ‘School Lunch Fairy’ to help kids’

lunch debts is from Wellington • New Jersey - School throws away lunch of 10-year-old autistic

boy, mother says



Managing Unpaid Meal Charges The Federal Perspective


• Required USDA to

examine and report to

Congress on charge and

alternate meal policies

• Final report submitted to

Congress in July 2016

Congressional Action


Developing the Report

Request for Information

Public Webinars

Roundtable Discussion

Special Nutrition Program

Operations Study

School Nutrition Association Studies


Unpaid Meal Charges Website:

• Local Meal Charge Policies

• Clarification on Collection of

Delinquent Meal Payments

• Guidance and Q&A

• Best Practice Guide

USDA Guidance


• All SFAs operating the

NSLP and/or SBP must

develop a charge policy

• Policy must be

communicated in writing

• Local discretion

Overview of the Requirement


Policy Options:

• State-level policy

implemented by all SFAs

• Combination policy

• SFA-level policy

Level of Policy Development


• Maintain the financial integrity

of the Programs

• Provide children with adequate

nutrition to succeed in school

• Minimize stigmatizing children

with meal charges

Policy Considerations


•Application outreach

•Payment options

•Low balance reminders

Preventing Meal Charges


• SFAs must provide policies to

the State agency during the

Administrative Review

• SFAs must maintain

documentation of policy

communication methods

Recordkeeping


• Report to Congress

• Policy Guidance

• Best Practices

• Presentations

• Policy Development

Checklists

Unpaid Meal Charges Website

Check it Out!https://www.fns.usda.gov/

school-meals/unpaid-meal-charges


Approaches Across the Country


South Dakota Case Study


South Dakota School Lunch Shaming Bill Story

• Senate Bill #162

• SDSNA Plan

• SNA Resources

• SDSNA Future Plan

• Uniting with School Administrators and Board Members

• Presenting our own Bill


St. Paul Public Schools Approach


SPPS Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

SPPS-NS 400-00

Overdue Lunch Account

NUTRITION SERVICES and SCHOOL

ADMINISTRATORS

OVERDUE LUNCH ACCOUNT:

Students that do not have money for meals or do

not qualify for free or reduced price meals are

allowed to temporarily charge meals. If payment

is not received in a timely manner, an alternative

meal may be offered at the discretion of the

principal.

Benefits of SOP

⎻ Shared responsibility

⎻ Clear guidelines

⎻ No tray taken away

⎻ Procedures established for distributing “angel funds”


SPPS NS Office Staff Responsibilities

Step 1: Automated phone calls• Below + $9.00 full pay student

• Below $0.00 any student including

Step 2: Mail Letter• Meal account between -$9.75 - $17.99

• Sent weekly until debt paid

Step 3: Bi-weekly email to supervisors and principals – copied to admin• Meal balances below $18.00

• Sample letter provided for principal to use

• List provided to assistant superintendents, engagement officer


Actions at the School

Cafeteria Supervisor Pre-K - 8⎻ Never take a tray away

⎻ Copy of Overdue Account in teacher mail boxes daily

Cafeteria Supervisor 9 – 12⎻ Cashiers verbally inform students with less than $5.00 in account.

School Principal⎻ Provide direction for alternative meal

⎻ Manage emergency meal funds

⎻ Assign other school resources to assist families

⎻ Complete “hardship” application if appropriate


SPPS “Angel Funds”

Food For Thought

•NS worked with Grants Office

•Thru: GiveMN.org

•$63K raised

Philando Feeds The Children

•Established by Pam Fergus, community member

•Thru: YouCaring

•$200K raised

•$45K YTD to SPPS


How “Angel Funds” Distributed

Clears debt for students who:

•Transferred to CEP

•Approved for (F) and (R)

•Approved for (P) who owe $9.75 or more

Excluded

•No application completed


Proactive Approach


• Proactive

⎻ Meal payment app and web

based payment

⎻ Training

⎻ Communication

• Daily

⎻ Balance Reminders

Manatee County Approach


• Elementary and middle school charge up to $12.00

• High school charge up to $5.00

• Limited BUT REIMBURSEABLE meal choice

• No ala carte or extras – even if they have cash

• Adults – no charging

Policy Overview


STAFF CHOOSES

Entrée

Fruit

Vegetable

Grain

Milk

STUDENT CHOOSES

• At least 5-6 entrée choices

• Array of fruits and

vegetables

• Choices of milk

Limited Choice

Negative Balance


• District Level

• Reminder letters sent home via back back

• Electronic phone calls and/or emails

• At negative $25.00 reminder letter mailed home

• Principal/Administrative involvement

Balance Management


• Management

• Accountability

• Follow through

Working Together


SNA Resources


• SNA 2018 Unpaid Meal Charge Talking Points

⎻ www.SchoolNutrition.org/PR

⎻ Click on “Talking Points and Customizable PR Tools”

• SNA 2017 statement on “School Lunch Shaming”⎻ "No school nutrition professional wants to see a child go hungry or feel any

shame during mealtime - we dedicate our lives to providing access to healthy,

balanced meals to all students.”

SNA Resources

http://www.schoolnutrition.org/PR

https://schoolnutrition.org/MarketingComm/Customizable-PR-Tools/

https://schoolnutrition.org/news-publications/press-releases/sna-comments-on-school-lunch-shaming/


• Shows unpaid meal

charges are a growing

national problem with

fiscal consequences

• Updated stats for Back to

School 2018

SNA Operations Report


Questions & Answers


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session using the

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Thank You


• This session provides one (1) CEU

⎻ Key Area: Administration-3000

⎻ Topic:: Financial Management - 3300

Professional Standards Code

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Documents

Managing Unpaid Meal Charges - schoolnutrition.org · • Palm Beach FL - Nation’s ‘School Lunch Fairy’ to help kids’ lunch debts is from Wellington • New Jersey - School