Meal Charging Procedure

The North Kitsap School District aims to offer healthy daily meals to students. Although the USDA Child Nutrition Program does not mandate providing meals without payment to students not qualified for free or reduced-price meals, the District holds the conviction that every hungry child deserves to be fed. To achieve this, Food Service cashiers will not refuse a lunch meeting USDA standards for a reimbursable meal to any student, irrespective of their Food Service account balance. Cashiers will not single out students unable to pay by requesting them to inform their parents, requiring them to work for the meal, stamping their hands, or using any other methods. However, cashiers may inquire if the student has brought money. The Meal Charging Procedures aim to ensure adherence to the USDA Child Nutrition Program while minimizing unpaid meal debts. All parents receive a copy of this procedure at the beginning of each school year, as well as when new students join the District throughout the year.

Food Service Department

The North Kitsap School District’s Food Service Department provides students with healthy, tasty meals.
We value the positive impact wholesome, regular meals have on a student’s academic success, so
students will always have access to reimbursable meals.

To ensure hungry children are fed, Food Service cashiers will not deny any student a breakfast or lunch
which meets the USDA requirements for a reimbursable meal, regardless of the balance on their Food
Service account. The cashier will not single-out students unable to pay by asking them to tell their
parents to send money, by requiring them to work for their meal, by stamping their hands or by any
other method. The cashier may ask if the student has brought money.

Parent / Guardian Responsibility

A Food Service account is automatically set up for each student as soon as they enroll in the District.
Meals may be prepaid by adding funds to this account. It is the responsibility of each student’s parent or
legal guardian to ensure their student has enough funds in their Food Service account to cover the cost
of their student’s meals. Funds may be added by sending in a check or cash to the student’s school or
payments may be made online with a debit or credit card through Food Service Payment System.

There is no online fee associated with depositing money via Skyward Family Access. For efficiency and to reduce the possibility of lost and/or stolen money, we highly encourage parents to utilize the online payment
option. Payments made online are immediately posted to students’ accounts. This also alleviates the
problem of students misplacing money meant for deposits.

If a student does not have enough money in their Food Service account to cover the cost of a meal,
credit will be extended to the student to receive a reimbursable meal. Credit will not be granted to cover
the cost for: ala carte items such as juice or milk, single entrees or second meals. Any student who
chooses to take a second meal will be charged the full cost of that meal; currently $5.00 for lunch and
$3.25 for breakfast. There must be adequate funds on the student’s account to cover the full cost of the
second meal or any ala carte item they select.

We encouraged Parents/Guardians to regularly monitor, via Skyward, their student’s meal activity to
avoid accumulating excessive charges. Parents may contact the Food Service office at any time if they
wish to block their student’s account in order to prevent the purchase of ala carte or single entrees. A
full reimbursable meal will never be denied to any student unless the parent or legal guardian has
directed us to.