The USDA required school districts that are participating in federally-subsidized child nutrition programs to provide a copy of their written meal charge policy (or standard practice document) to all school households at the start of each school year and the households of all students who transfer into the school district during the school year.

Below is both the MCPASD information on meal charges.

Food Service Program Fiscal Management

School breakfast, lunch, and milk prices shall be set by the School Board.
Provision of free or reduced-price meals shall be governed by federal regulations.
Parents or caregivers who claim that the financial condition of their family is such that they cannot afford to pay for the cost of their child’s meal shall be invited to apply for free or reduced-price meals.
The school nutrition director and designees shall be responsible for ensuring accurate and timely collection of funds due the District from food service-related transactions. It is the responsibility of the school nutrition director or designee to monitor and make every effort to collect any delinquent accounts.
The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District school nutrition program shall use an automated meal accounting system (AMAS) to record meal payments and to monitor all food-related transactions. Parents, caregivers, and staff members shall be expected to maintain a positive balance in AMAS accounts.
Meal Charge Policy - The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District believes that regardless of their ability to pay all students shall receive an equitable meal. Students without money in their meal account or in hand at meal service time will be allowed to charge a meal. The Nutrition Program Staff, with other stakeholders, will work on collecting those meal charges. Social Workers will be given access to student eligibility status to support families in applying for Free/Reduced price meal benefits. Meal accounts will be sent to collections unless a mutually agreed upon payment plan is arranged. Uncollectable meal charges (debt) will be paid for by the General Fund (Fund 10) as a transfer to the Nutrition Program Fund (Fund 50) once yearly by mid-August. This policy will be actively communicated to families and other stakeholders annually.
The administration shall develop procedures to implement this policy.

Food Service Program Fiscal Management Procedures

The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District school nutrition program uses an automated meal accounting system (AMAS) to record breakfast, lunch, and a la carte meal payments and to monitor all food transactions. The AMAS functions as a debit system, similar to a checking account. The AMAS requires parents, caregivers or students to prepay money into an established account. Parents/guardians are expected to maintain a positive balance in the student’s account and should promptly contact the school nutrition office (834-6544) to resolve any problems that may occur with the account.

The District receives federal and state reimbursement in the form of cash and commodities for the first lunch served to each student. Second lunches and extra portions are available to students at a la carte prices. Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals must have a positive balance in their account in order to purchase additional items or milk.

Students will be issued an identification number and will be assigned a meal account that the AMAS will monitor.

Elementary (Grades K-4)

All students and staff are automatically issued an identification number. The students’ numbers will be entered into the pin pad as they proceed through the serving line for breakfast, lunch, and/or milk and their account will be debited accordingly.

Cash purchases. The District will take cash from students or family members at all levels on all lunch lines. Families are welcome to put payments in the drop box in each school office as well.

Secondary/Middle and Senior High (Grades 5-12)

All students and staff are issued a student identification (ID) card and number that is linked to a meal account. The ID number assigned to each student does not change from grade to grade or year to year.

Lost ID cards. Secondary students must immediately report lost or missing ID cards to the school office. The AMAS identification number will be flagged, and the account will be monitored upon such notification. The District will not be held responsible for any charges made to accounts where a card is not reported lost or missing within 24 hours of the loss. A replacement ID card will be issued upon notification. Temporary passes are available to students who request a pass after reporting a lost card. The temporary pass is good for one lunch or one breakfast only. Students will not be permitted to purchase extra portions or additional milk with a temporary pass.

Cash purchases. Cash will be accepted from secondary students or staff for food or milk purchases in the serving line. Visitors, parents, guardians, siblings, and/or guests of students may pay cash for a meal in the serving line.

Meal Payments and Accounting

Payments. Payments may be made in any amount, will be accepted any day of the week, and are processed daily. Payments must be sent in a sealed envelope that includes the following information: 1) parent’s or caregiver’s name, 2) student’s full name with ID number, 3) student’s school, and 4) amount to be credited to each student’s account (if a single payment is being made to cover more than one student). Preprinted payment envelopes will be available in all school offices or may be acquired by contacting the school nutrition office.

Checks should be made payable to Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, and the memo line on the check should read “meal payment.” Payments by check or in cash may be 1) brought to the school office in a prepayment envelope, or 2) delivered in person at the District Office at 2130 Pinehurst Drive, Middleton. Payments by check may also be mailed toMiddleton-Cross Plains Area School District.

Money for meals must not be sent with deposits intended for any other purpose (e.g., school fees, books, etc.).

Deposits. All receipts from food service transactions shall be deposited promptly. Collections shall be deposited daily. Any subsequent collections made but not deposited the same day are to be locked in a safe and deposited with the following day’s collection. Money is not to be left in a school over a weekend or a holiday.

Reports. Parents/caregivers may call the school nutrition office to obtain account balances, a printout of deposits, and a printout of items purchased.

NSF checks. Parents/caregivers will be charged the current bank fee for checks returned due to insufficient funds. This fee is deducted from the child’s account.

Refunds. Any funds remaining in an account at the end of a school year will be carried over to the next school year. Refunds for any fund balance may be issued by the school nutrition office upon receipt of a written request from the parents/caregivers. A refund form will be available on the school nutrition link of the district website. All refunds will follow school board payment timelines.

Account Balances

School Nutrition Office Meal Charge Procedures

1. An automated phone call and an email is sent to households on the day a meal account balance falls below the limit set by the individual family.

2. Families with Student accounts that have a negative balance of $15.00 or more will be contacted by Nutrition Services or School Social Workers by personal phone calls. Students will continue to receive a meal which will be charged to their meal account.

3. On a monthly basis, a “Negative Balance” computer-generated letter will be sent to households with meal accounts that have a negative balance total of $15.00 or more.

4. USDA Regulations allow School Districts a “Grace Period” which is 30 days at the beginning of a new school year to carry over a child’s Free/Reduced eligibility from the previous school year. Three (3) weeks prior to the “Grace Period” ending in mid-October, families that didn’t fill out a Free/Reduced Application will be mailed one to complete. After the “Grace Period” ends, families that have students that have reverted to paid status from Free or Reduced Price status will be contacted to see if support is needed to reapply for Free/Reduced Price meal eligibility.

5. The School Nutrition Secretary will create and share a contact log with School Social Workers who will also log any contacts.

6. During the first two (2) weeks of August, the School Nutrition director will work with the Director of Business and Finance to transfer funds from the General Fund (Fund 10) to the School Nutrition Fund (Fund 50) when negative accounts become uncollectible from the previous school year.

7. Delinquent Account Letters will be sent to families that have negative meal accounts the last month of the school year. For families that owe $100 or more on any child’s accounts, the letter will state that if not paid within 30 days the negative meal charges will go to collections. If the Nutrition Office’s efforts to collect money for negative meal accounts that are less than -$100 are not successful, these balances will roll over to the next school. For students that leave the School District such as graduating seniors or withdrawn students, any negative balance on their accounts will go to collections if School Nutrition efforts are ineffective unless an alternate meal payment plan has been arranged.

8. The Director of School Nutrition and the Director of Business and Finance will utilize the services of a collection agency as per step #7 in these procedures. Alternatively, the district may file a claim with the small claims court, credit bureau, and/or legal counsel to secure collection of debts not paid within 30 days of issuance of the “School Lunch Account Overdue Letter,” unless an alternative payment plan has been agreed upon by both parties.

9. The Meal Charge Policy and Procedures will be actively communicated to families and the public yearly. Families that register students after the start of the school year will also be sent this information.

Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District

Annual Notice Forms

STUDENT ACADEMIC STANDARDS

SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT

SCHOOL AND SCHOOL DISTRICT PERFORMANCE REPORT

EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS

STUDENT ASSESSMENTS

EDUCATION OF HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTHS

STUDENT PRIVACY

HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

SPECIAL EDUCATION CHILD FIND

SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

TITLE I

PROGRAMS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

ACADEMIC AND CAREER PLANNING SERVICES FOR STUDENTS

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

PROGRAM AND CURRICULUM MODIFICATIONS

USE OR POSSESSION OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICES

STUDENT BULLYING

STUDENT LOCKER SEARCHES

EARLY COLLEGE CREDIT PROGRAM

STUDENT RECORDS-THE FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT (FERPA)

CONCUSSION AND HEAD INJURY INFORMATION

SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST

NOTICE OF SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCES

CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS AND FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEAL INFORMATION

MEAL CHARGE POLICY NOTIFICATION

SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICY NOTIFICATION

NONDISCRIMINATION (Students/Employees)

TITLE IX

ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT PLAN NOTIFICATION

MCPASD Civil Rights Discrimination Complaint Procedures