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The Manchester School District recognizes the importance of good nutrition and shall take all reasonable steps to ensure students have access to school meals.

These steps include providing access to applications for Free and Reduced-Price meals for those families that qualify. Application forms will be sent home at the beginning of each school year, posted on the District’s website, and available from each school’s main office. Applications are accepted and processed throughout the school year.

The meal payment and charging policy will be mailed home to the parents of all students at all grade levels and posted in all school cafeterias as well as on our website.

The meal payment and charging policy is as follows:

Elementary School:

Elementary school students prepay for daily meals via cash, check or online payments.  The electronic messaging system will be used to notify parents of students with low balances. Notification letters will be mailed home as well as emails to parents of students with a negative balance of $5.00 or more.   Parents will be informed that if their balance is not paid within 5 days of the date of the letter/email their children will not be allowed to charge their choice of meals. The only meal permitted to be charged will be a nutritious meal consisting of a lower cost menu item which is available to all students. Charge for this alternate meal will be $ .75.    Students with a negative balance will not be prevented from making cash transactions.  The District will not take a student’s money to pay a negative balance when they attempt to make a cash transaction.

Middle and High Schools:

Middle and High School students prepay for daily meals via cash, check or online payments or pay cash at the point of service. Middle and High School students will be allowed limited credit. Students may charge up to three lunches. The third time a student comes to the cash register with a tray of food and has no money on account, the student will be fed and informed that they will need to pay the balance due before they can receive additional meals. The student will also be given an eligibility application to take home and will be instructed on the application process.  Students with a negative balance will not be prevented from making cash transactions. The District will not take a student’s money to pay a negative balance when they attempt to make a cash transaction.  Students in this case will be reminded that they owe money on their account. Students will not be permitted to make a la carte purchases on account.  Informative signage detailing this charging policy will be prominently displayed in the cafeteria at all service area entrances.

Uncollectable Debt:

At the end of the school year, the Food Service Department will provide a list of student accounts with negative balances in addition to an invoice to the School District Business Administrator (BA). The BA will direct the Accounts Payable Department to transfer funds from the General Fund to the Food Service fund for the entire amount of the invoice. The debt now belongs to the School District. 

The School District will continue to attempt to collect the debt from the various households. The School District will require a partnership with Food Service to help in the collection process. Any payment made by the household to the District will be deposited back into the General Fund. If the household submits payment directly to Food Service, Food Service will transfer the money back to the General Fund.

Revised Policy:

First Reading Coordination: 6/11/19

Second Reading and Adoption BOSC: 6/24/19 

Original Policy:

Finance Committee: 12/14/15

First Reading Coordination: 1/11/16

Second Reading and Adoption BOSC: 1/25/16