The Haines Borough School District is implementing a new policy this school year to reduce the number of unpaid balances for student meals.
Principal Rene Martin said unpaid meals have become a problem, with some students’ lunch bills in the red by up to $800 in one year.
Superintendent Roy Getchell said the administration wrote the policy in the spring, which came to the school board’s policy committee in June and the full board at its Aug. 7 meeting. The policy states the food service program will notify families when a meal account balance hits $25 and again at $50. When the balance exceeds $100, student accounts are subject to closure. “The District will provide a lower cost alternate meal that meets nutritional guidelines,” according to the policy.
Getchell said an “alternate meal” is something like a sandwich, fruit and a drink that still meets federal nutrition requirements, but is generally different from the scheduled entrée.
“I don’t think anyone got into education to collect bills, but what we have to do is remind parents about balances and typically they will respond,” Getchell said. “At some point, in order to keep our costs effective and be fair, it’s important that we do collect for what we serve.” Getchell said school districts across the country walk a fine line between needing to collect money, but also being sensitive to students’ needs.
school board member Sara Chapell asked how strictly the administration plans to enforce the new policy.
“The intent is there to give us some back up if we need it. I don’t plan on micromanaging the lunch rooms… (the policy) is a place for us to start. I am really feeling we have to be preventive here and not get to this level, but we have to have something in place so we can say ‘Look parent, I’m really sorry, but this is what we have to do,’” Martin said.
The district encourages parents and guardians to apply for the National School Lunch Program, which offers free and reduced-cost lunch primarily based on family income or a student’s “status as a homeless, migrant, runaway or foster child.”
Students pay $2.50 for breakfast, reduced to 30 cents in the meal program, and $3.50 for lunch, reduced to 40 cents. Parents or guardians can pay by cash or check, or can prepay for meals with a debit or credit card through the My School Bucks website, linked on the school’s website.
Getchell said there are some federal nutrition requirements, but it’s up to each school how to implement them. “The intent is not to send a kid away hungry but usually with something like that we will get to a solution,” he said.