Ewing Township Board of Education

P 8550 – Meal Charges/Outstanding Food Service Bill (M)  (Revised)

N.J.S.A. 18A:33-21 et seq. was recently amended requiring several major revisions to Policy Guide 8550.  Below please find an explanation of the major revisions:

1.            The amended statute prohibits a school district from taking certain actions in response to a student’s school meal bill being in arrears.  These prohibited actions include, but are not limited to:  the student not being publicly identified; requiring the student to sit at a separate table, wear a wristband, or do chores or other work to pay for the school meal; requiring a student to discard a meal after it has been served because of the student’s inability to pay for the meal if the student’s meal bill is in arrears; and serving the student an alternate meal; 

2.            The amended statute requires a school district to take certain actions if a student owes money for the equivalent of five or more school meals.  These required actions include but are not limited to:  a determination by the school district to assess if the student is eligible for a free or reduced school meal; school district assistance to the parent in completing the school lunch application; and a school district determination if there are household issues causing the situation; and

3.            The amended statute removed language that indicated the school district would provide a final notice to a parent who has not paid their child’s outstanding meal bill, after being provided multiple previous notices, that “school breakfast or lunch shall not be served to the student beginning one week from the date of a second notice.”  The amended statute replaced the “school breakfast or lunch shall not be served to the student beginning one week from the date of a second notice” with the final notice to inform the parent “of any action to be taken by the school district in response to a student’s breakfast or lunch bill being in arrears.”  In summary, a school district may, but is no longer required to, withhold a child’s breakfast or lunch if their school lunch bill is in arrears.

The United States Department of Agriculture requires Boards of Education to develop and implement a meal charge program pursuant to NJDOE guidance.  Boards have discretion in developing a meal charge program which includes, but is not limited to:

a.            Permitting students to charge all or a limited number of available reimbursable meals; or

b.            Not permitting students to charge any meal.

This updated Policy Guide 8550 includes an option for a district to permit or prohibit students from charging meals.  A district that permits charging of meals must address in its program how it will collect routine payment of meal(s) consistent with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:33-21.  Policy Guide 8550 is now aligned with the provisions outlined in N.J.S.A. 18A:33-21, which addresses the statutory requirements for the collection of an outstanding meal bill.

Revised Policy Guide 8550 incorporates the new requirements in the revised statute (1. and 2. above) and no longer requires a school district to withhold a breakfast or lunch after the parent receives multiple notes that the student has an arrearage in their school lunch bill (3. above).  However, the revised Policy Guide indicates a school district may deny the student a meal.  School districts will not typically deny a student a meal if their lunch bill is in arrears, but the revised Policy Guide provides the school district the option should the district determine circumstances require denying a meal to a student.  This provision will not impact students eligible for free and reduced meals.  The revised statute expressly prohibits serving an alternative meal to a student whose lunch bill is in arrears, which was not expressly prohibited in the past. 

This updated Policy Guide 8550 shall replace a district’s current Policy Guide 8550 as it is mandated for school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.   Policy Guide 8550 is mandated.

Policy Guide 8550 is MANDATED