Meal Charging Policy

In the event a student does not have the ability to purchase a school meal, the school will provide a standard meal and charge the applicable costs (see Lunch Prices) to the student's account.

Only U.S. currency is allowable for purchasing any items in the cafeteria or at Almont Community Schools.

No student at any time will be allowed to charge ‘a la carte items’ from the cafeteria.

Almont meal charge policy prevents lunch shaming with the specifics outlined in Staid Aid section 31k as follows:

• prohibits the requiring of students who cannot pay for a school meal or who owe a negative balance to wear a wristband or handstamp.

• prohibits the requiring of students who cannot pay for a school meal or who owe a negative balance to perform chores or other work to pay for school meals.

• prohibits the requiring of students to dispose of a meal after it has been served because the student is unable to pay for the meal or has a negative balance.

• prohibits the direct communication with a student about a negative balance unless your district has unsuccessfully attempted to contact the student's parent or legal guardian first through telephone, mail, and electronic mail.

• prohibits discussing a negative balance with a student in the presence of other students.

Any account that has a negative balance that exceeds $20, will result in the district administration being notified of the situation. The student will be prohibited from participating in all fee based extracurricular activities until the balance is paid, or payment arrangements are made. These activities include:

• Athletics 

• Fee based Clubs

• Homecoming Dance 

• Prom

• Non-academic trips

• Any other dances

• Commencement Activities

Any student who becomes inactive due to graduation, or finalizing the check-out procedure, who has a negative balance on their account will face collection agency activity according to the bad debt policy.