Unpaid Student Meal Debt

Uintah School District is committed to ensuring all students have healthy, quality meals to support daily learning and social interactions while remaining fiscally responsible as a district.

To achieve both objectives, we have established a district-wide negative balance procedure. This procedure is intended to notify parents when students need money for school meal accounts, ensure parents are aware of the free and reduced meal programs, and collect on outstanding debts to the Child Nutrition Program.

The district expects parents to take financial responsibility for their student’s meals by maintaining a positive and sufficient meal account balance.

The following procedures will be implemented in each school to help parents with this responsibility:

1. When a student’s meal account balance drops below -$1.00, the school will send an automated phone call and email each Monday, to the parent(s) indicating their students’ school meal balance.

2. When a student’s meal account balance drops below -$10.00, the school lunch cashier will make a personal phone call to the parent to discuss the negative balance. A voicemail may be left if the call is unanswered. The date of the call will be documented in Aspire.

3. When a student’s meal account balance drops below -$20.00, the school lunch cashier will mail to the parent Deficit Letter #1, page one of the unpaid student meal debt procedure, a free/reduced meal application, and instructions on how to complete the application online. The date the letter is sent will be documented in Aspire.

4. When a student’s meal account balance drops below -$40.00, the central school lunch office will attempt to reach the parents by phone, email and/or text to arrange for payment or set up a payment plan.

5. When a student’s meal account balance drops below -$50.00, the district's Child Nutrition Coordinator will contact the school principal to have them set up a mandatory meeting with the parents. The principal will request payment of the account balance. If the parent cannot pay the balance, a payment plan will be implemented for the parent. The principal will communicate the plan to the Child Nutrition Coordinator, who will share the plan with the school lunch cashier. If not already participating, the parent will be prompted to complete an application for free or reduced meals.

Parents of a student with a negative balance may contact the Child Nutrition Department at (435) 781-3185 for information and support in providing their child with a healthy, quality school meal.

The district encourages parents to apply for free/reduced meals at the beginning of each school year and anytime throughout the school year in the event of a change in the family’s size or finances.
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NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

No district employee or student shall be subjected to discrimination in employment or any district program or activity on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The district is committed to providing equal access and equal opportunity in its programs, services and employment including its policies, complaint processes, program accessibility, district facility use, accommodations and other Equal Employment Opportunity matters. The district also provides equal access to district facilities for all youth groups. The following persons have been designated as Title IX coordinators to handle inquires and complaints regarding unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation: Dr. Mistalyn Leis, Human Resources Director (435) 781-3100. You may also contact the Office for Civil Rights, Denver, CO, at (303) 844-5695.