FILE:  EE

Cf:  JGB, KG

CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

The LaSalle Parish School Board believes the school district should have a sound child nutrition program and that the child nutrition program should be an integral part of the total educational program.  The School Board also believes that the highest possible sanitation standards should be maintained and that every effort should be made to make it possible for every child to participate in the child nutrition program without regard to race, color, disability, national origin, sex, or age.

GUIDELINES

The School Board shall administer a Food and Nutrition Program in accordance with federal and state standards and requirements as outlined by the Louisiana Department of Education, Bulletin 1196, Louisiana Food and Nutrition Programs, Policies of Operation, including that only products that have met all state certification requirements shall be utilized in child nutrition facilities. 

The School Board, as the recognized child nutrition program authority for the school district, shall annually approve the national school lunch program, school breakfast program, U.S.D.A. school commodity programs and any other related programs. The approved agreement shall meet all specifications mandated by the Louisiana Department of Education's Division of Nutrition Assistance.

Guidelines for administering the program are contained in the LaSalle Parish School Board Child Nutrition Programs Policy and Procedures Book.

Guidelines of the Louisiana Sanitary Code shall be strictly followed in the preparation, serving, and cleaning of all child nutrition programs and facilities.

Each school shall abide by state and federal guideline restrictions on the operation of concessions, canteens, snack bars, vending machines or other food and beverage sales.

No supplies or foods, including leftovers, shall be removed from the child nutrition department by any employee of the school system unless he/she has been authorized to transfer the items to another school location.  Disciplinary action may result for unauthorized food removal.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Special events should not interfere with the preparation and service of school lunch, breakfasts, or snacks.  School functions involving the use of the cafeteria shall be arranged through the principal and approved by the child nutrition supervisor.  Whenever the cafeteria is used by the school, one or more of the child nutrition employees shall be in charge to ensure control over child nutrition foods and to ensure proper use and care of equipment and facilities.  A Special Event form must be completed and sent to the supervisor of child nutrition at least two (2) weeks in advance of the event.  Events that occur at scheduled times during the school year can be handled by sending in one notice listing all of the dates.

PAYMENT FOR MEALS

Meals may be paid for daily, weekly, monthly, or annually.  Those students not eligible for free meals must pay for their meals at the prices established for full price and reduced price students.  Those students not eligible for free meals who have not paid for a scheduled meal may have that meal withheld.

In elementary schools, prior to withholding a meal, the school shall:

1. Provide actual notification to the child's parent or legal guardian as to the date and time after which meals may be denied, the reason for such denial, any action that may be taken by the parent or legal guardian to prevent further denial of meals, and the consequences of the failure to take appropriate actions to prevent such denial, including that the school governing authority shall contact the office of community services within the Department of Social Services upon the third instance of such denial during a single school year.
   
   

2. Verify with appropriate school staff that the child does not have an Individual Education Plan that requires the child to receive meals provided by the school to ensure that neither the child's health nor learning ability will be negatively affected by denying the child meals during school hours.

If the school denies a scheduled meal to a child, the school shall provide a sandwich or a substantial and nutritious snack item to the child as a substitute for the meal denied.

Upon the third (3rd) instance during a single school year of the same elementary school child being denied a meal during school hours, the School Board shall contact the office of community services within the Department of Social Services to report the failure of the parent or guardian to pay for meals which has resulted in repeated denials of meals during school hours.

The School Board shall document each instance that a child is denied a meal in an elementary school.

Charitable funds donated by school employees or other charitable funds may be used to pay for a child's meal in the event that he/she is subject to the denial of a meal during school hours.

No discrimination against any individual shall occur because of his/her inability to pay, nor shall the School Board or any nutrition service provider publish or permit to be published the names of any individual unable to pay for the food.

Any public school employee who discloses the name of any individual unable to pay for such food, either orally or in written form, except as reasonably necessary in the conduct of his/her official duties, shall be subject to the penalties provided in state law.  No employee shall disclose such information to any student for any reason.

Payment Procedures

Computers in each cafeteria now allow the Child Nutrition Program to keep up with payments and meals eaten for an entire school year.  Parents shall pay in advance for their child's breakfast and lunch meals by sending checks made out to the Child Nutrition Program at the school their child attends.  A separate meal check shall be written apart from other school fees.  The child's name should be written on the check, and if the check is written for more than one child's money, each child's name and the amount to credit to each child shall be noted on the check.

Students shall only be allowed to charge breakfast and lunch meals up to a total of five (5) days worth without special arrangements being made with the Child Nutrition Program Manager of the school.  If a child owes payment for more than five (5) days and arrangements for an extension are not made, the child shall be denied mealsuntil full payment of that bill has been received.  Any parent who is having trouble paying for his/her child's meals should contact the Manager at the school and fill out a Free or Reduced Price Meal Application.

Students shall not be allowed to charge meals during the last two full weeks of the school year.  Students who owe balances at the start of May must make arrangements with the Child Nutrition Manager of their school to clear these balances or they will be denied meals during the last two weeks of the school year until the balance is paid in full.   Checks shall not be accepted for the payment of meals after the Monday starting the last two-week period of the school year to avoid having any NSF checks that cannot be cleared before students leave for the year.

Non-Sufficient Fund (NSF) Checks

If a Non-Sufficient Fund (NSF) check is received, the person writing the check shall be contacted and asked to pay the amount of the check in cash, plus any bank charges assessed the school system.  A second NSF check by the same person shall result in requiring that all meals being paid by cash or money order unless that person can satisfactorily show that no additional check will be NSF.  A third NSF check shall result in requiring payment of all school fees by cash or money order.

FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEAL APPLICATIONS

Eligibility for participation of students in the free and reduced meal program shall be determined by family meal application or direct certification of participation in migrant, runaway, or homeless education programs.  A multi-child, family application to apply for school meal benefits shall be sent to the parents or guardians of each student within the first week of school.  Parents shall be requested to complete an application listing all students enrolled in LaSalle Parish public schools and return it to the determining official for review.  The applicant should be made aware that deliberate misrepresentation on the application may subject him or her to prosecution under applicable state and federal criminal statutes.  Such applications (approved and disapproved) and documentation of the action taken shall be maintained for three (3) years after the end of the fiscal year to which they pertain.

State guidelines allow for the limited disclosure of information about free and reduced price meal eligibility without consent of the parent.  The information may be used only for the purpose authorized and may not be shared with any other parties for any reason.  Aggregate information that does not identify individuals continues to be permitted without parental consent.  Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the release of a child's eligibility status is permitted to persons directly connected with and who need to know a child's free and reduced price meal eligibility status in order to administer and enforce the Title I requirements under the NCLB.  The statute, however, does not allow the disclosure of any other information obtained from the free lunch application form or obtained through the direct certification information received from the food stamp office.

Ref:    42 USC 1751 et seq. (School Lunch Programs)

42 USC 1771 et seq. (Child Nutrition)

7 CFR 210 (National School Lunch Program)

7 CFR 220 (School Breakfast Program)

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:82, 17:191, 17:192, 17:192.1, 17:193, 17:194, 17:195, 17:196, 17:197, 17:197.1, 17:198, 17:199,  39:2101, 40.4

Louisiana Sanitary Code, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals

Board minutes, 5-17-97, 2-2-98, 8-14-06, 10-7-13

LaSalle Parish School Board