Food Service
16
What you need to know:
North Branch Area Schools follows the “Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs”.
A Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application will be available during orientations in August and also may be sent home with your child during the first week of school. If you did not receive an application, please pick one up at any school office or call your child’s school and have one sent home. Please fill the two page application out completely and return it to the school to see if your child/children qualify for free or reduced-priced cafeteria meals. Only one application per family is necessary to be submitted back to Food Service. Eligibility is based on your household income. If you qualify for unemployment compensation, or if your income changes any time throughout the school year, you may reapply by filling out a new Application for Free and Reduced School Meals. Applications are available in every school office.
North Branch Area School’s Food Service Payment Policy
Our system provides complete anonymity to students eligible for free and reduced price meals. Payments may be applied to your student’s account on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. Daily payments are accepted, but not recommended.
One form of payment can be sent in for multiple students. Just notate how much should be applied to each account. For example, one check can be written for the total amount and a note stating how much you want in each account.
Payments can be made by cash/check and can be sent to school with your student, or mailed to:
North Branch Area Schools
Attn: Food Service
PO Box 3620
North Branch, MI 48461
Payments can also be made using the on-line convenience of our new payment processing system, PaySchools. This program allows you to make payments online via e-check or credit card at your convenience,
Students may not charge for meals (breakfast and/or lunch) if they have a negative balance of -$5.00 or greater on their food service account – existing negative balances included. If such a negative balance exists, students will be given a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with white milk. All negative food service account balances should be paid in full as soon as possible.
Students will not be allowed to charge for ala carte items. Ala carte items are sold separately and are not considered a reimbursable meal. An example of an ala carte item would be – an extra milk, cookies, chips, etc. If your student wishes to purchase ala carte items, they must be paid for at the time of purchase.
ALA CARTE ITEMS ARE NOT PART OF THE FREE AND REDUCED PRICE SCHOOL MEALS.
WHAT QUALIFIES AS A LUNCH?
Menu items are offered daily from all 5 lunch component categories which are: Meat/Meat Alternative, Fruit, Vegetable, Grain, and Milk. Your child (for all grades) must select at least 3 of the 5 menu components offered and 1 of them must be a fruit or a vegetable for their choices to be considered a lunch, which is priced as a unit. If they choose less than the minimum required, their account will be charged separately for each item. The Food Service Staff can assist your child if they have any questions while making their selections.
Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for more information on the new MyPlate USDA food group symbol. The new MyPlate symbol is a great visual representation of a balanced diet.