Meal Charge Policy

Meal Charge Procedures

Four County Career Center School Meal Charge Procedures

While it is the goal of Four County Career Center to provide all students with healthy meals each day, unpaid charges place a large financial burden on our Food Service Department.  The Four County Career Center Cafeteria will allow one (1) meal charge per student in conjunction with the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program.  The USDA Child Nutrition Program does not require that a student who pays for regular or reduced priced meals to be served a meal without payment; therefore, if a student has an unpaid charge on their account and does not have the funds available to pay for breakfast or lunch, that student will not receive a meal.

Meal Charge Standards:

=         Only one (1) meal may be charged at a time

=         The charged amount will reflect the student’s Full Pay or Reduced Meal Benefit status

=         No a la carte items may be charged

=         No charges will be allowed during the month of May

=         Charges must be paid before receiving a Career Passport

Four County Career Center students may deposit money on their account using debit/credit cards at payschoolscentral.com.  The online system allows parents and students to sign up to view account activity, set low balance notifications, and set up automatic replenishment of the meal account.  While the online payment is the preferred method of depositing money into a student account, Four County Career Center will provide a secure drop box where cash or check deposits can be made.  If using the drop box method, it would be critical to make sure deposits are made well in advance of the meal period in order to insure the deposits are credited to the meal account in time for meal service.

The Four County Cafeteria uses a computerized point of sale/cash register system to maintain records of all monies deposited and spent for each student.  Account balances displayed by this system are official and final. 

Four County Career Center will take any and all actions necessary to collect meal charge monies.  Should this meal charge procedure become excessive and a hardship to the district, Four County reserves the right to discontinue this privilege. 

It is the goal of the Four County Cafeteria to be able to provide a healthy meal to every student in attendance, therefore; it is highly recommended that all eligible families apply online for free or reduced price meal benefits at payschoolscentral.com. 

If a student is habitually unable to eat meals due to insufficient account funds, Four County Career Center reserves the right to report potential child neglect to the Department of Social Services.

By putting this procedure in place, Four County Career Center Cafeteria satisfies the USDA requirement that all schools operating The School Breakfast Program and The National School Lunch Program develop, implement and clearly communicate to all households a standard practice that addresses unpaid meal charges.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider