Orchard Knob Elementary cafeteria workers prepared this meal as a future school system recipe under the direction of Chef Cyndie Story.
FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALSHamilton County Schools encourages families struggling to afford meal prices to find out whether they’re eligible to enroll in federal free and reduced-price lunch programs. Online applications will open July 13 at www.hamilton.schoollunchapp.com. Paper applications will be available at school registration on Aug. 7.SCHOOL MEAL CHARGE POLICYOnly elementary and middle school students can charge.Adults are not allowed to charge, with exceptions of principal approval, a special event or Teacher Appreciation Day.A la carte items may not be charged.A la carte items may not be purchased if a student has a negative account balance.*Procedures for collecting overdue charges shall be designed and monitored by school nutrition department.*Proposed policy addition for 2012-13Source: Hamilton County Board of EducationPROPOSED PAYLIANCE AGREEMENTThe parent is charged for the full balance of charges owed with no additional fee.The school district receives 75 percent of collected amount during the first year, 72 percent for future years.School district receives reimbursement twice monthly.No term of contract; school system can end agreement at any time.Source: Hamilton County school nutrition department
Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch?
Hamilton County students charged a collective debt of more than $70,000 on school breakfasts and lunches last school year. That’s the equivalent of nearly 30,000 lunches at last year’s price of $2.50 for each meal.
Because state regulations don’t allow school nutrition programs to carry debt, those student charges will be absolved this month with the school system’s general fund picking up the tab.
To combat the growing pile of unpaid meals, officials are looking to a private collections agency to help recoup charges and bad checks. On Thursday, the school board approved the first reading of a measure to work with a third-party collections company.