Food Service

CLINTON FOOD SERVICE MEAL CHARGING PROCEDURE

No child shall be denied food. We offer Breakfast and Lunch at all school sites, each day we are open for school.

For All buildings: 

• Students who do not have money or who have charges on their meal account will continue to have the same access as everyone else;
• Students will not be denied a hot meal, nor limited in their food choices, or otherwise treated differently
• Students will not be identified with wristbands or hand stamps and/or shamed for not having money and or a negative balance at the time of service.
• Students with no money and/or negative balances will never have to perform chores or other work to pay for school meals     
• Students will not be ask to dispose of meal tray after it was served due to negative   balance or inability to pay.
• All communication pertaining to the students negative meal balance will be with the parent/guardian, not the student.  If communication must happen with the student (only if attempts with parent have been tried) it will be done privately away from students and adults.
• Students may charge their meal, and families will be required to pay for all meals accrued on their students’ account. 
• There will be no charging at the Middle and High school Ala Carte line.

For Families with Meal Charges:

• Families will be notified of unpaid meal charges by mail and/or email. Payment is due upon request.
• If the account remains unpaid, the family will continue to receive notifications until the last day.

• • All unpaid meal charges will be added to the list of outstanding fees at the end of the school year. Negative Food Service balances will be processed in the same manner as all other outstanding school/district balances (i.e., lost library or text books).

  • Federal Regulation prohibits Food Services Department to subsidize, write off or repay fees from uncollected Food Service accounts.

For families with large negative balances, Food Services will devise a re-payment plan that includes manageable installments. Please contact me to arrange a suitable plan for your family at (517)456-2045

Meal charges can be paid for in the following ways:

• at your child’s school in the cafeteria
• at the Food  Services Office at Clinton High School
• through the US mail  340 E. Michigan Ave   Clinton, MI 46236

Positive Balances If a student leaves the district with a positive Food Service account balance, a request for a refund must be made within 30 days. Any remaining balances may be donated to the Food Service Account Assistance Fund which provides financial assistance to students who are unable to pay negative account balances. Food Services will attempt to contact families with a positive balance.

A copy of this letter will be posted in the school cafeteria office and will be included in the notification that families receives for unpaid meal charges on their student’s account.

Please see below for important information regarding the free/reduced meal application process.

National School Lunch Program Meal Application Process

Every school year, families who would like to join the National School Lunch Program to qualify for free lunch based on family income are required to submit a new meal application. Here’s what you need to know:

• New applications are available July 1 through June 30 of each school year, and are available in English and Spanish.
• Even if your family had been on the program the previous school year, a new application must be submitted, or your family will be dropped from the program on October 1.
• Only one application is needed per family, even if family members attend different schools.
• The district requests that all families consider applying, even if you do not intend to take advantage of the lunch program because every qualified application counts towards bringing additional federal and state funding support to our schools based on the income of our students’ families. Also, if your family’s income decreases during the year, please consider filling out a new application as you may qualify for the program.
• The easiest and quickest way to apply is online: Meal Magic Online 
• Please look for the Notification of Eligibility letter and keep it for your records as this letter may be used to receive other benefits for families who qualify (reduced prices on test, etc.).
• If you do not receive a Notification of Eligibility letter within 10 days of submitting your application, please contact our office for more information at 517-456-2045.
• Do not assume you qualify for benefits until your family receives a notification in the mail informing you of your child’s eligibility status (eligible or not eligible).
• If your family receives a Notification of Eligibility letter that states your student is Paid (ineligible for free lunch) and you believe this to be in error, contact Food Service office at 517-456-2045).
• Family and student confidentiality is protected by your right to privacy; information obtained during the free and reduced-price school meals eligibility process may not be shared with other government agencies or individuals outside Food Services’ office. Only a student’s parents or legal guardians may request information regarding that student’s account or application.

Thank you so much for your participation in our program. We are proud of the healthy and delicious food we serve, and appreciate the opportunity to support the daily lives and education of our students.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email:
program.intake@usda.gov

USDA Civil Rights Complaint Site

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email:
program.intake@usda.gov

USDA Civil Rights Complaint Link: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to update or modify their wellness policy, as appropriate. When wellness committees meet on a regular
basis throughout the school year, an assessment plan should be used to ensure progress is being made on the district’s wellness policy and procedures.

Local Wellness Policy: Triennial Assessment Summary