DATE:
April 10, 2026
TO:
Administrators of Schools
Elementary and Secondary Principals
FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Katie Bastian, Director of Nutrition Services
SUBJECT:
Student Meal Deficit School Responsibilities
District approved procedural guidelines for meal deficit collection can be found on the Nutrition Services website under the online payments tab.
Reminder: Funds that have been donated to the school for the purpose of paying off student meal debt cannot be used to pay off a student account and then have that account sent to collections. The purpose of specific Nutrition Services donated funds are to help families that are in the deficit. The school can use any other school funds to pay off student accounts so they can then be sent to collections.
If schools would like to send any student accounts to collections before the end of the school year, Principals must submit all Skyward Deficit Tracking documentation to our Meal Deficit Liaison by Friday, May 22nd. This will allow time for the collections process.
Per approved guidelines:
-Students transferring within the district with a deficit meal account balance of any dollar amount, must be paid at the time of transfer and is the responsibility of the school the student is leaving.
-Inactive students, graduating students or students moving up grade levels to another school (i.e., 6th to 7th, 9th to 10th and seniors) with uncollectable meal deficits, of any dollar amount, are the responsibility of the school and must be paid by the principal at the end of the current school year.
-All staff meal deficits must be paid by the end of the year. If a balance remains, it is the responsibility of the school and paid by the principal.
