Effective September 3, 2019 an alternative meal will be offered to students with 5 charges on their accounts.

Huntsville ISD knows that sometimes children forget their lunch money or do not remember to let parents know they need money on their accounts. Sometimes life is so busy for parents that they just simply forget to check their child’s account balance. We now have a plan to ensure that your child will receive a hot, regular, complete meal when your child’s account is low or negative.

Students enrolled at Huntsville ISD will be allowed to charge up to 5 times for complete meals only, but will not be allowed to buy or charge a la carte items. A complete meal consists of at least 3 of the 5 components offered, one of which must be a fruit or vegetable. Many times our entrees are 2 components (meat & grain). After all charges have been used an alternative meal will be offered. (Grilled cheese sandwich, Fruit and Milk).

Each week the Child Nutrition Department will send out negative balance notices for Primary Students. Secondary students are informed of low account balances when they make purchases. Access to myschoolbucks.com allows parents to receive low balance emails. When a student has charged for 3 consecutive days, cafeteria managers will contact parents and a Free & Reduced Meal Application will be sent home. We will make every attempt to notify parents of low balances to reduce charges. We ask that you make every attempt to reconcile your child’s account as soon as possible. If necessary, we will accept partial payments. If a student must charge, we will let the child know when they purchase the meal. This debt will remain on the student’s account throughout the child’s enrollment at Huntsville ISD.

If at any time your household is experiencing an economic need, either long term or temporary, please call the Child Nutrition Department for a confidential inquiry. We may be able to help.

Remember for your convenience you can always pay online thru myschoolbucks.com, at all campus cafeterias & main offices during school days.

If you have any questions contact the Food Service Department @ 936-435-6921 or 6924.
 

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act requires the information on this application. You do not have to give the information, but if you do not, we cannot approve your child for free or reduced price meals. You must include the last four digits of the social security number of the adult household member who signs the application. The last four digits of the social security number is not required when you apply on behalf of a foster child or you list a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) case number or other FDPIR identifier for your child or when you indicate that the adult household member signing the application does not have a social security number. We will use your information to determine if your child is eligible for free or reduced price meals, and for administration and enforcement of the lunch and breakfast programs. We MAY share your eligibility information with education, health, and nutrition programs to help them evaluate, fund, or determine benefits for their programs, auditors for program reviews, and law enforcement officials to help them look into violations of program rules.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Meal Charging Policy

Huntsville ISD knows that sometimes children forget their lunch money or do not remember to let parents know they need money on their accounts. Sometimes life is so busy for parents that they just simply forget to check their child’s account balance. We now have a plan to ensure that your child will receive a hot, regular, complete meal when your child’s account is low or negative.

Students enrolled at Huntsville ISD will be allowed to charge up to 5 times for complete meals only, but will not be allowed to buy or charge a la carte items. A complete meal consists of at least 3 of the 5 components offered, one of which must be a fruit or vegetable. Many times our entrees are 2 components (meat & grain). After all charges have been used an alternative meal will be offered. (Grilled cheese sandwich, Fruit and Milk).

Each week the Child Nutrition Department will send out negative balance notices for Primary Students. Secondary students are informed of low account balances when they
make purchases. Access to myschoolbucks.com allows parents to receive low balance emails. When a student has charged for three consecutive days, cafeteria managers will
contact parents and A Free & Reduced Application will be sent home. We will make every attempt to notify parents of low balances to reduce charges. We ask that you make every attempt to reconcile your child’s account as soon as possible. If necessary, we will accept partial payments. If a student must charge, we will let the child know when they purchase the meal. This debt will remain on the student’s account throughout the child’s enrollment at Huntsville ISD.

If at any time your household is experiencing an economic need, either long term or temporary, please call the Child Nutrition Department for a confidential inquiry. We may
be able to help. 

Remember for your convenience you can always pay online thru myschoolbucks.com, at all campus cafeterias & main offices during school days. 

If you have any questions contact the Food Service Department @ 936-435-6921 or
6924.

Free & Reduced Meals

If you have applied for free or reduced price meals and have a pending application, you must pay for all school meals until you receive an Approval Letter. We receive hundreds of applications each year, and we work hard to process them as fast as possible. It, however, may take up to ten days to begin receiving benefits after the application is received by the Child Nutrition Department.

Because of the time it takes to process applications, students who were free or reduced in the previous year remain at their previous year’s status for the first thirty days of the new school year or until a new application is received and processed. Once a new application is processed the new status takes over, so if a child was free last year, and an application is processed in the second week of school that qualifies the student for reduced meals, the student’s status will be changed to reduced status on the date that the application is processed not at the end of the thirty day period.

Students, who do not turn in an application that can be processed within this thirty day window, will roll over to paid status and will be responsible for paying for all meals consumed.  For this reasons it is very important for parents who feel that they may qualify for free lunches to promptly complete and return an application at the beginning of each school year. Parents, who do not qualify for free meals, may qualify for reduced price meals.

Please do not put anyone at the school in the position of having to deny your child a meal – NO ONE wants to do that! If you make sure your child has adequate funds in their account, this can be avoided. Thank you.

Applications are available at all campus offices & cafeterias.

Special Dietary Needs

Students with any special dietary needs must have a medical authority’s statement on file with the food service department. All previous accommodations our district has done in the past will no longer be honored until we have a signed statement from an acceptable recognized medical authority. The medical authority must identify the condition, how it affects a major life activity, what food items are to be omitted and what foods are to be substituted.

This form must be renewed every school year.
We will no longer accept a handwritten note from a parent. Acceptable recognized medical authorities are: Physician (Dr.), Physician’s Assistant (PA), or Advanced Practice Nurse (APN).

Payment Options

Parents may prepay for their child's meals with a check or cash at each cafeteria.  Parents may also pay using a credit card through myschoolbucks.com. Students may prepay for their meals before school, or they may pay for their meal at the time of service.

Returned Checks

Per the Huntsville ISD Financial Policy Manual

Refunds 

For any student who is withdrawn or graduating, a written request for a refund of any money remaining in their account must be submitted to the Child Nutrition office in order
for a refund to be issued. The letter must be from the child’s parent/guardian. The letter must request the refund, list the child’s full name and date of birth, and list the address
where the refund is to be mailed.

Unclaimed Funds

All refunds must be requested within one year. Unclaimed funds will then become the property of the Huntsville ISD Child Nutrition Department.

Account policy

Student’s accounts are for their use, only.

Monies applied to the accounts are available for purchases at all points of sale. Once money is applied to an account it cannot be refunded unless a student withdraws from school or graduates.

We do not cash checks, for any reason.

Civil Rights

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act requires the information on this application. You do not have to give the information, but if you do not, we cannot approve your child for free or reduced price meals. You must include the last four digits of the social security number of the adult household member who signs the application. The last four digits of the social security number is not required when you apply on behalf of a foster child or you list a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) case number or other FDPIR identifier for your child or when you indicate that the adult household member signing the application does not have a social security number. We will use your information to determine if your child is eligible for free or reduced price meals, and for administration and enforcement of the lunch and breakfast programs. We MAY share your eligibility information with education, health, and nutrition programs to help them evaluate, fund, or determine benefits for their programs, auditors for program reviews, and law enforcement officials to help them look into violations of program rules.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. 

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.