Lunch Program Negative Balance Procedure

Printable form and Sign-off Sheet

NutriKids Portal – The Ability to Pre-Pay for Meals

The Lincoln Public Schools and ARAMARK Food Service encourage parents/guardians to pre-pay meals for their children through the Nutrikids website, thereby eliminating situations that could develop during lunchtime because of negative balances or failure to bring lunch money to school.

A.    Pre-payments for lunch and breakfast can be made through the NutriKids website.

1.    Parents/guardians will be able to and are encouraged to monitor their children’s breakfast/lunch account activity through the NutriKids website online system.  This system can be used to confirm payments have been received, make payments, and monitor account activity.

2.    The NutriKids website also has the ability to automatically send out balance alerts to parents/guardians as their children draw down from their accounts

B.    Cash and check payments will continue to be accepted at each school; however, payments made through NurtriKids website via credit will be assessed up to a $2.00 per transaction processing fee.

Registration for the NutriKids website is currently available on the district home page, www.lincolnps.org under the parents tab at the top. 

NEGATIVE BALANCE PROCEDURES FOR THE SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM

Both the Lincoln Public Schools and ARAMARK are committed to providing meals to students who choose to participate in the lunch program but also feel very strongly that there is an obligation for parents/guardians and/or students to satisfy all financial obligations to the lunch program in a timely manner.  In order to provide students and parents/guardians in the Lincoln Public Schools with the best possible service, clarity, and accountability surrounding the school lunch program, the following procedures regarding student lunch account balances will be implemented August 27, 2012:

Students can purchase school lunch in two ways:

a) “Cash” Payments:  Students who typically pay by “cash” [pay as you go] – and do not have any money on any given day or

b) NutriKids Payment:  Students who “pay” from their NutriKids account/ balance whose account is in deficit.

Students with No Money for Lunch or a Negative NutriKids Account Balance:

Elementary Level: In both “a & b” above:

$10.00 Negative Balance Threshold

1.    The Food Service Office will send letters to parents/guardians of elementary school students whose balances exceed $10.00.

2.    A list of negative account balances of more than $10.00 will be forwarded to each Principal by ARAMARK.

3.    Once the balance notification has been sent out, parents/guardians will have five (5) days to pay or make arrangements to pay outstanding student balances.  Students will be unable to participate in the program until the balance is paid or an arrangement to pay the balance is made. 

4.    Students with negative balances will receive a sandwich lunch (sandwich, fruit and milk) in place of the regular hot lunch that complies with USDA requirements.

$20.00 Negative Balance Threshold

1.    Once balance notification has been sent out, parents will have five (5) days to pay or make arrangements to pay outstanding student balances.

2.    Student accounts with balances higher than negative twenty dollars (-$20.00) for which payment arrangements have not been made are subject to “closure” - the accounts will be closed out and they cannot participate in the lunch program until such time as the negative balance is addressed.

3.    Under an extreme situation of nonpayment/communication, it may be necessary to withhold report cards should a negative balance remain outstanding with no follow up from the parent/guardian.

Secondary Level: In both “a & b” above:

1.    No charging of the “regular/hot” school lunch is permitted. 

2.    The student will receive a “sandwich” lunch - sandwich, fruit, and milk in place of a regular/hot lunch that will be charged at full price to the student’s account.  This meal maintains the USDA standards surrounding reimbursable meals and will be charged at full price to the student’s account.

3.    Once balance notification has been sent out, parents will have five (5) days to pay or make arrangements to pay outstanding student balances.

4.    Student accounts with balances higher than negative twenty dollars (-$20.00) for which payment arrangements have not been made are subject to “closure” - the accounts will be closed out and they cannot participate in the lunch program until such time as the negative balance is addressed.

5.    Under an extreme situation of nonpayment/communication, it may be necessary to withhold report cards should a negative balance remain outstanding with no follow up from the parent/guardian.

Free/Reduced Lunch Applications

A. Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to submit free/reduced lunch application forms annually as well as when their household information or income changes. Applications can be submitted at any time and are available during registration or through individual schools as well as on the district’s website: www.lincolnps.org, under the “Parents” tab.

B. Free/reduced applications are also a part of all paperwork provided to families of students transferring into the Lincoln Public Schools.