NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Unpaid meal tabs will be turned over to a collection agency next school year with the reinstatement of New Hanover County Schools policy.
READ MORE: Rumor control: NHCS students can participate in field day despite overdue lunch tab
Chief Finance Officer Ashley Sutton notified the school board at the June 21 policy committee meeting the district would resume enforcing its nutrition services policy, suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the past two school years, all students were eligible to eat at no cost due to the availability of waivers from the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA also provided funding for schools through its Community Eligibility Provision or Summer Feeding Program, so the school system did not have meal debt.
This school year, child nutrition reimbursement qualifications have started to return to normal, meaning not all student meals are free. The district has nearly $100,000 in unpaid meal debt for the 2022-2023 school year.
District policy indicates the director of child nutrition and principal “shall work jointly to prevent meal charges from accumulating.”
If a student is without meal money on a consistent basis, the principal, social worker, or data manager shall assist the director of child nutrition or designee in investigating the situation. This could include contacting the parent or guardian or encouraging them to seek additional assistance, such as submitting a free and reduced lunch application.
Notices of low or negative balances in a student’s meal account will be sent to parents and the principal at regular intervals during the school year.
After 30 days, unpaid amounts are turned over to a collection agency if they are deemed “uncollectable.” According to policy, the collection agency, selected and approved by the superintendent or designee, will work with the student’s family to collect the amount owed to the school system.
Although the tabs are turned over to collection, they are not reported to credit agencies.
Community members can make donations to cover meal expenses on the district’s website. Sutton also clarified no student would be prohibited from school activities for unpaid meal balances. A rumor began circling in May that this was not the case at Noble Middle School.
The school’s administration sent a message to Noble families that stated if they had a balance of $60 or more, their child would not be able to partake in the activities. However, New Hanover County Schools reversed that decision, allowing all students to participate regardless of debt status.
Noble’s balance of $2,856 is not the highest middle school tab — both Myrtle Grove and Roland Grise middle schools have debt near $10,000. The highest elementary school tab is Porter’s Neck with $2,653 and the highest high school amount is $23,777 at Ashley.
Tips or comments? Email info@localdailymedia.com.
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
