2017-2018 Meal Prices
Breakfast
$1.35 Elementary
$1.55 Middle and High School
$1.95 Adults/Staff/Visitor
Students eligible for free or reduced price lunch are eligible for a FREE breakfast daily
The School Breakfast Program is offered at all schools in the district. Please contact your student's school for the breakfast service time as some schools offer breakfast in the classroom after school begins and other schools offer breakfast before school begins.
Lunch
$2.25 Elementary
$2.60 Middle School
$2.80 High School
$0.40 Reduced Price
$3.50 Adults/Staff/Visitor
Milk: purchased by the carton
Milk purchased by the carton for milk break or lunch from home, is $0.45 per carton or $9.00 for an elementary milk card. Milk cards must be purchased separately from meal account payments.
WAUSAU SCHOOL DISTRICT
Administrative Rule for School Meal Account
Charges and Collections
Parent and Guardian
Responsibilities
It is the expectation that parents and/or guardians plan for
their child to have sufficient access to food each school day. In addition,
parents and/or guardians are encouraged to monitor and manage their child’s
school nutrition services account, including making prompt payment when
necessary.
These procedures describe how the District will approach
charges and payments for meals and other items that are offered for sale within
the District’s School Nutrition Services
Program.
Access
to School Meals and Other Nutrition Service Items
Students
When a student purchases a school meal or
other nutrition services items, the general rule is that payment is due no
later than at the time of service. However, a student may occasionally wish to
receive a school-prepared meal or other nutrition service item that the student
does not have enough money to pay for, either in hand or in a student meal
account balance. Unless the student’s parent or guardian has made alternative
arrangements with the school, these situations will normally be handled as
follows:
1.
Students (Grades K
through 5)
may charge the cost of school meals with a negative balance. Upon reaching a negative
balance of $10.00 collection efforts will be initiated with
Parents/Guardians.
2. Students (Grades 6 through 12) Breakfast may charge the cost of
reimbursable breakfast meals only up to a total negative balance of $20.00.
At this amount the student account will be deactivated until payment is made.
Parents/Guardians will be notified by letter and phone that the student meal
account has been deactivated.
3. Students (grades 6 through 12) Lunch may charge the cost of
reimbursable lunch meals only up to a total negative balance of $10.00.
At this amount students will be offered an alternate sandwich and/or milk at
Ala Carte pricing only up to a total negative balance of $20.00.
At this amount the student account will be deactivated until payment is made.
Parents/Guardians will be notified by letter and phone that the student meal
account has been deactivated.
4. Ala
Carte (extra items) privileges are suspended when a student’s balance
becomes negative.
In addition, even if a student’s household
owes a debt within the School Nutrition Services Program, a student will always
be permitted to select and receive a regular school meal at the time of meal
service if either:
1.
The District has determined that the student is currently
eligible to receive free meals at school; or
2.
The student has sufficient prepaid funds in his/her nutrition
services account, or enough money in hand, to pay for the meal on the day the
meal is purchased; or
3.
The parent/guardian has contacted the school’s Nutrition
Service Manager or the Director of School Nutrition Services and has made
arrangements for payment of the negative balance; or
4.
The student has tray in hand at the point of sale cashier
area.
Staff
Staff may purchase meals or other items
through the School Nutrition Services Program. If necessary, staff may accrue a
negative
balance of $10.00. If a negative balance of $10.00
is reached, the account will be placed on hold until payment is
received.
Negative Account Balances notification to students and households
The District’s preferred means of addressing all issues with
a student’s nutrition services account, meal payments, and access to sufficient
food while at school shall be direct and timely communication with a parent or
guardian.
1. The District will not inform a
student in Grades K-5 of his/her account balance. All communication regarding
Grades K-5 nutrition services negative account balances shall be direct and
timely communication with a parent or guardian.
2. The District may inform a student in
Grades 6-12 of his/her current account balance and any restrictions that apply
to his/her food selections and charges.
Negative Account
Balances and Collection Procedures
The District encourages families to establish and regularly
fund a prepaid nutrition services account for each child in the household. A
negative balance in a student nutrition services account is a debt that is owed
by the student’s parent or guardian (or, if applicable, by an adult student).
Once a student’s account has a negative balance, the District
will make an initial and follow-up attempt to collect the debt by providing the
student’s parent or guardian with notice (e.g., by mail, email, telephone,
etc.) of the amount owed. Payment is due immediately upon notice. If these
attempts are not successful, a school official will attempt to make contact or
schedule a meeting with a parent or guardian. The District and the parent or
guardian may discuss payment plan options.
If a negative balance still has not been paid after the
collection efforts described in the previous paragraph, parents and guardians
should be aware of the following:
1. The District may continue to pursue collection efforts.
2. Debt in a student nutrition services account is not
automatically discharged, forgiven, or reduced at the end of the school year or
due to a change in a student’s enrollment status (e.g., graduates, transfers,
etc.).
3. The District normally will not refer the debt to a
third-party collection agency or file a lien or suit unless efforts to reduce
the debt remain unchanged for 60 days. At its discretion and to the extent
permitted by law, the District may attempt to achieve collection of a nutrition
services program debt by placing a lien, referring the debt to a collection
service, or initiating an action in small claims court. However, before any of
these steps are taken, the District will communicate the intended course of
action to the person responsible for payment with a final notice of the amount due.
Payments and Account
Management
For any meals and other nutrition services food items (i.e.,
food or drinks) that are available for purchase that a student is not entitled
to receive for free, it is ultimately the responsibility of each student’s
parent or guardian to pay for the items their child receives.
The District offers an online system that a parent or
guardian may use to monitor and manage each child’s nutrition services account,
including making payments. There is a fee of $1.95 when a transaction is made
using the online account management system. The District strongly encourages
families to establish and regularly fund a prepaid school nutrition services
account for each child in the household.
In addition to using the online account system to make
payments, a person who needs to make payment for student meals may:
1. Place funds in pre-payment envelopes
and place inside the student’s take-home folder (for elementary students) and
parents should verify the payment was deposited; or
2. Place payment in the school’s secure
School Nutrition Services deposit box during normal school hours; or
3. Bring payment to the school’s main
office; or
4. Request consideration of other
methods of payment by contacting the school’s Nutrition Manager or the Director
of School Nutrition Services at 715-261-0806.
A person making payment to a student nutrition services
account who wishes to designate specific amounts as either repayment of a debt
or prepayment of future charges should contact the School Nutrition Services
Department at 715-261-0806 to establish how the specific payment should be
applied to the account. Except for money that is brought to school for the
specific purpose of purchasing a meal at the time of service, general payments
that are directed to a student’s nutrition services account default to payment
of any outstanding balance first, with any remaining amount treated as a
prepayment.
The District charges a fee of $12.00 for each check that is
returned or denied payment by a financial institution. After a check is
returned or denied payment, the District may refuse to accept payment by
personal check in the future.
Donations to pay
debts in student food service accounts
When donations of money are accepted and used for the
specific purpose of covering unpaid balances (in full or in part) in student
nutrition services accounts, the District shall consider the debt repaid and
discharged to the extent covered by the donation(s). Except as provided in any
terms or contingencies that are attached to a specific gift and that have been
accepted by the District or School Nutrition Services Department personnel
shall normally aggregate (e.g., annually or more often) any donations that have
been received for the purpose of covering unpaid balances and then apply the
total amount on a pro-rata basis (either equal dollars per student or an equal
percentage of the amount owed) across the negative-balance account(s) of
households that the District has identified as being in financial need of such
assistance. Where the amount of such
donations makes this preferred approach impractical, the Director of School
Nutrition Services may approve an alternative approach that still prioritizes
applying the available funds to the nutrition service accounts of one or more
households in financial need.
Account Transfers
and Refunds
Account Transfers: Account funds may be transferred
from one student account to another OR to the School Meal Assistance Account.
The School Meal Assistance Account is used to pay for meals of students in need
at the discretion of the Director of School Nutrition Services.
A request to transfer funds may be made by calling the School
Nutrition Services Department at 715-261-0806 or by emailing Ann Bunkelman at abunkelm@wausauschools.org.
Refunds: If money is left in an account upon
graduation, or a student moves out of the District, a refund may be obtained by
submitting a written request to the School Nutrition Services Department at 650
South 7th Avenue, Wausau WI 54401. Refund should be received in 4-6 weeks. For
students moving out of the District, a forwarding address must be provided. It
is the requester's responsibility to follow up if the request is not received
in a timely manner. Account balance information can be obtained by calling the
School Nutrition Services Department at 715-261-0806.
Transferring
Students: Parents/Guardians should contact the
School Nutrition Services Department when students withdraw from the District.
The School Nutrition Services Department will provide households the option of
donating funds to the Meal Assistance Account or to receive a refund. Funds not
donated to the Meal Assistance Account, will be issued to households with
balances of $10.00 or greater to the student’s primary contact. Funds less than
$10.00 must be picked up in person at the School Nutrition Services office
within 30 days of notification. Funds less than $10.00 remaining after 30 days
from notification will be placed into the School Nutrition Services Department
account.
Graduating Seniors: Upon high school graduation, the
School Nutrition Services Department will transfer funds from graduating
students to siblings, if applicable. The Department will contact households
with remaining funds to provide the option of donating funds to the Meal
Assistance Account or to receive a refund. Funds not donated to the Meal
Assistance Account, will be issued to households with balances of $10.00 or
greater to the student’s primary contact. Funds less than $10.00 must be picked
up in person at the School Nutrition Services office within 30 days of
notification. Funds less than $10.00 remaining after 30 days from notification
will be placed into the School Nutrition Services Department account.
Reclassification of
delinquent debt as bad debt within the Nonprofit School Nutrition Service
Account (NSFSA).
In consultation with the District’s financial auditors, as
needed, the Chief Finance and Business Services Officer and the Director of
School Nutrition Services shall develop procedures and criteria for the
reclassification of long-term delinquent debt within student nutrition services
accounts as uncollectible bad debt. Such procedures and criteria shall be
consistent with the following general parameters:
1. Unless an active payment plan is in
place or other attempts at collection are actively being pursued, delinquent
debt in a student nutrition services account that has not been repaid within 90
days from the date a student is unenrolled from the District shall normally be
reclassified as bad debt for purposes of the District’s NSFSA.
2. The reclassification of a delinquent
debt to a bad debt as an accounting of allowed costs within the District’s
NSFSA does not prevent the District from continuing to track the unpaid debt,
accepting payment for the debt, refusing to extend further credit or offer
other payment plans to the debtor household, or applying other District
policies and rules related to unpaid charges and fees.
Application for Free
or Reduced-Price Meals
An application for free and reduced-price meals can be
submitted at any time during the school year, unless a specific exception
applies (such as the temporary carryover of prior eligibility). Parents and
guardians who submit an application remain responsible for payment of school
meals and charges their child incurs until approval is granted. In addition, approval of an application does
not eliminate or reduce any charges that were accumulated prior to the date the
application was submitted.
Additional
Information and Assistance
For assistance with all issues and questions related to the
District’s School Nutrition Services Program, including eligibility and
applications for free or reduced-price meals, student food service accounts,
the District’s online account management system, as well as specific issues
addressed in these procedures, families can refer to Wausau School District
website (www.wausauschools.org) or call the School Nutrition
Services Department at 715-261-0806
Legal
References: Wisconsin State Statutes: Section 115.34
Section 115.341
Section 115.343
Section 115.347
Federal
Law: 42 U.S.C.
§1758(b)(2)(A)
USDA and this institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.