Meal Charging Policy

Douglas County School District has a no charging policy. However, up to one meal can be charged at the elementary level (***this does not apply to secondary schools, see below for exceptions). No snacks or a la carte items may be charged at any time. We will not let a student go hungry and a complimentary meal will be offered, which consists of all the fruits and vegetables offered for the day.

After three complimentary meals, the school counselor is contacted and asked to make additional contact with the parents.

If a charge is allowed at an elementary school, an account balance notification slip is printed by the SNP Cashier, noting the amount and date charged and sent home via the teacher. Parents and guardians can view their students' meal account balances and track their activity through Infinite Campus; there is also a mobile app available as well.

***Charging is allowed to all in limited circumstances:

• If a student has some but not all of the money needed to purchase a meal.
• Student has no other charged meals on their account.  All debt must be repaid in full by the end of the school year. Debt will follow student into the next school year if not paid.
• If the computer was down the day before and emergency rosters had to be used.
• If a notice of a Infinite Campus payment was received and money is not yet added to patron’s general fund.
• If ROA check payment is received in the lunch line and it will be entered after the sales period has ended.
• If a sibling has funds on their account and it will be transferred later that same day to cover the charged meal.
• Instances where an application has been submitted and eligibility has changed to a pay status, one day of charging is allowed as long as student is notified and made aware since status changes immediately without notice.

Notifications of negative balances are mailed home weekly and an email is sent from Infinite Campus every Monday when students' food service account balances fall below $6.00. The Nutrition staff run Low Balance Reports at the end of each day and, if needed, phone calls to parents will be made in order to notify the family of the delinquent funds. 

Our charging policy is distributed at the beginning of each school year in the Letter to Parents and can be found on the district website, as well as included in the Infinite Campus pre-application online notice.

The School Nutrition Program office maintains records indicating the households and dates email notifications were sent, and school Nutrition staff are responsible for collecting the funds of delinquent accounts. Collection efforts start as soon as the charge has been made. Letters are printed and parents are contacted via notifications, calls made home and by email. Parents can make payments through Infinite Campus and the payments are posted immediately.  Click on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal link on this page to put money on your child's account.