FILE:  EE

Cf:  JGB, KF

CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

The Acadia 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.  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 Support.

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.

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 Acadia 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 National School Lunch Act (NSLA), 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 carry out an activity specifically authorized by the NSLA.

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, 17:195, 17:196, 17:197.1, 17:198, 17:199, 39:2101, 40.4

Louisiana Sanitary Code, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals

Board minutes, 11-7-05, 9-13-10, 12-9-13, 11-5-18

Acadia Parish School Board