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CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
AND CAFETERIA PAYMENT REGULATIONS
The Lafourche Parish School Board believes the school district should have a sound
child nutrition program and that the child nutrition program should be an integral part of
the total educational program. The School Board also believes that the highest
possible sanitation standards should be maintained and that every effort should be
made to make it possible for every child to participate in the child nutrition program
without regard to race, color, disability, national origin, sex, or age.
GUIDELINES
The School Board shall administer a Food and Nutrition Program in accordance with
federal and state standards and requirements. Uniform school lunch and breakfast
menus shall be established for the schools with the provisions that a cafeteria may, in
addition to the uniform lunch, serve an additional menu to provide a choice for pupils.
Menus shall conform to USDA requirements and those of the Division of Nutrition
Assistance, Louisiana Department of Education. The School Board, as the recognized
child nutrition program authority for the school district, shall annually approve the
national school lunch program, school breakfast program, U.S.D.A school commodity
programs and any other related programs. The approved agreement shall meet all
specifications mandated by the Louisiana Department of Education's Division of
Nutrition Support.
Guidelines of the Louisiana Sanitary Code shall be strictly followed in the preparation,
serving, and cleaning of all child nutrition programs and facilities.
Each school shall abide by state and federal guideline restrictions on the operation of
concessions, canteens, snack bars, vending machines or other food and beverage
sales or class parties. (Refer to policy JGB, Student Wellness Promotion)
No supplies or foods, including leftovers, shall be removed from the child nutrition
department by any employee of the school system unless he/she has been authorized
to transfer the items to another school location. Disciplinary action may result for
unauthorized food removal. Takeout meal service may be offered at an additional cost
to the customer when there is an established takeout meal service program. Accurate
meal counts, nutrition requirements and sanitation guidelines must be followed. Meals
may not be removed form the school premises. Proper disposable flatware and
containers must be provided. The removal of permanent service ware from the food
service area shall not be allowed.
In elementary and middle schools reimbursement for lunch, special milk, and/or
breakfast may be withheld from schools if concessions, canteens, snack bars, or
vending machines are operated on a profit basis before the end of the last lunch period.
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In high schools, reimbursement for lunch, breakfast, and/or special milk may be
withheld from schools if concessions, canteens, snack bars, vending machines or other
food sales are operated on a profit basis before the last 10 minutes of each lunch
period. The official school schedule shall indicate the time for each lunch period. Such
services are operated for profit if the income is not deposited to the nonprofit child
nutrition department account, and expended only for the purpose of the child nutrition
program(s).
However, high schools with multiple lunch periods may operate concessions, canteens,
snack bars, vending machines, or other food sales between lunch periods if the
following guidelines are implemented:
1.
No food item shall be sold before the last 10 minutes in each lunch period.
2.
Lunch periods shall be divided by a period of time so that students from one
period do not come into contact with students from another period.
3.
A system shall be in place to ensure that students do not have access to
competitive foods before the last 10 minutes of each lunch period.
(Refer to policy JGB)
The School Food Authority shall be required to reimburse the child nutrition account for
any funds withheld for violation(s) of the Competitive Foods policy. Under no
circumstances can foods in competition be sold or given to children in food service
areas during the lunch period(s). This policy will be managed and monitored by both
the local child nutrition director as well as the State.
NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS
The Child Nutrition Program
1.
The District shall commit to utilizing all available resources and strengthening its
outreach to students and their families to ensure that all students have access to
nutritious breakfasts, lunches, snacks for after school educational programs, and
the summer food service program.
2.
The District shall hire dedicated food service staff and shall provide them with preservice and ongoing in-service training in nutritious food preparation, safety and
sanitation.
3.
All school cafeterias and dining areas should be healthy nutrition environments.
Louisiana public schools participating in federal child nutrition programs should
ensure that all students have daily access to school meals (breakfast and lunch).
Schools should not establish policies, class schedules, bus schedules or other
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4.
barriers that directly or indirectly restrict meal access.
All students shall have a minimum of ten (10) minutes for breakfast and twenty
(20) minutes for lunch periods, preferably thirty (30) minutes. Schools shall
provide sufficient serving areas to ensure access to school meals within the
allotted time.
5.
School meals shall meet the USDA nutrition standards as well as provide
sufficient choices, including new foods and foods prepared in a variety of ways.
6.
Schools shall provide a pleasant dining area that encourages students to enjoy
the social aspects of a healthy meal by including:
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age-appropriate, sufficient cafeteria seating
a relaxed environment for socializing
consistently enforced rules for safe behavior
adults who serve as role models, and who monitor noise levels
tables and floors that are cleaned between lunch periods
attractive cafeteria décor
functioning hand washing stations complete with soap and single use
towels
7.
Schools shall promote healthy food choices in a variety of ways, such as: display
nutritional information about food items, highlight healthier food selections in
menus, school-wide audio or video announcements, educational table tents, taste
testing opportunities, health fairs, nutrition tips in school newsletters, various
contests with incentives, dress-up characters as role models, etc.
8.
Commercial fast foods, carbonated beverages, sports drinks, energy drinks,
concentrated sweets, and high fat foods shall not be allowed in the cafeteria.
9.
Students who do not wish to eat in the cafeteria will be responsible for bringing
their lunches from home in the morning. If a child leaves home without a lunch,
one may be purchased in the cafeteria. Parents bringing lunches to school cause
a disruption to the daily school routine; therefore, parents will be allowed to bring a
child’s lunch only in extenuating circumstances.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Special events should not interfere with the preparation and service of school lunch,
breakfasts, or snacks. School functions involving the use of the cafeteria shall be
arranged through the principal and approved by the child nutrition supervisor.
Whenever the cafeteria is used by the school, one or more of the child nutrition
employees shall be in charge to ensure control over child nutrition foods and to ensure
proper use and care of equipment and facilities. A Special Event form must be
completed and sent to the supervisor of child nutrition at least two (2) weeks in advance
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of the event. Events that occur at scheduled times during the school year can be
handled by sending in one notice listing all of the dates.
PAYMENT FOR MEALS
Regulations prohibit the denial of free, reduced price or paid meals as disciplinary
action to any child in attendance at school. Denying meals to students for disciplinary
reasons associated with disruptive behavior in the cafeteria, selling free meal tickets,
etc. is prohibited under Federal regulations. Disciplinary action used for other
unacceptable behavior should be applied in these situations.
The School Board is not obligated to continue providing meals without receiving
payment. The students' ability to pay is determined through the free and reduced price
meal application process. Those students not eligible for free meals must pay for their
meals at the prices established for full price and reduced price students. The
Lafourche Parish Child Nutrition Department implements a pre-pay (no-charge) policy.
Meals may be paid for daily, weekly, monthly, or annually. Those students not eligible
for free meals must pay for their meals at the prices established for full price and
reduced price students. Those students not eligible for free meals who have not paid
for a scheduled meal may have that meal withheld.
In elementary schools, prior to withholding a meal, the school shall:
1.
Provide actual notification to the child's parent or legal guardian as to the date
and time after which meals may be denied, the reason for such denial, any
action that may be taken by the parent or legal guardian to prevent further denial
of meals, and the consequences of the failure to take appropriate actions to
prevent such denial.
2.
Verify with appropriate school staff that the child does not have an Individual
Education Plan that requires the child to receive meals provided by the school to
ensure that neither the child's health nor learning ability will be negatively
affected by denying the child meals during school hours.
If the school denies a scheduled meal to an elementary school child (Pre-K through
eighth grade), the school shall provide a sandwich or a substantial and nutritious snack
item to the child as a substitute for the meal denied.
Charitable funds donated by school employees or other charitable funds may be used
to pay for a child's meal in the event that he/she is subject to the denial of a meal during
school hours.
No discrimination against any individual shall occur because of his/her inability to pay,
nor shall the School Board or any nutrition service provider publish or permit to be
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published the names of any individual unable to pay for the food.
Any public school employee who discloses the name of any individual unable to pay for
such food, either orally or in written form, except as reasonably necessary in the
conduct of his/her official duties, shall be subject to the penalties provided in state law.
No employee shall disclose such information to any student for any reason.
Charging Meals
All students will be allowed to charge meals up to a limit of $5.00 in their account
toward reimbursable meals. Once a student has reached this limit, only elementary
students (Pre-K through eighth grade) will be given a sandwich or a substantial and
nutritious snack item as a substitute for the lunch meal denied. High school students
(9th-12th) will be denied a reimbursable meal once they have reached the limit of $5.00
and will not receive a sandwich or a substantial and nutritious snack item as the
substitute for the lunch meal denied. This shall only apply to lunch. All students will be
denied a reimbursable breakfast if they have reached the limit of $5.00.
The cafeteria manager shall be responsible for providing the administrator a regular
update as to charge balances at his/her school. It shall be the responsibility of the
administration to collect these funds owed to their school. At the end of the school
year, any uncollected debt to the child nutrition department must be paid by the school
to the child nutrition department.
FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEAL APPLICATIONS
Eligibility for participation of students in the free and reduced meal program shall be
determined by family meal application or direct certification of participation in migrant,
runaway, or homeless education programs. A multi-child, family application to apply for
school meal benefits shall be sent to the parents or guardians of each student within
the first week of school. Parents shall be requested to complete an application listing
all students enrolled in Lafourche Parish public schools and return it to the determining
official for review.
The applicant should be made aware that deliberate
misrepresentation on the application may subject him or her to prosecution under
applicable state and federal criminal statutes. Such applications (approved and
disapproved) and documentation of the action taken shall be maintained for three (3)
years after the end of the fiscal year to which they pertain.
State guidelines allow for the limited disclosure of information about free and reduced
price meal eligibility without consent of the parent. The information may be used only
for the purpose authorized and may not be shared with any other parties for any
reason. Aggregate information that does not identify individuals continues to be
permitted without parental consent. Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the
release of a child's eligibility status is permitted to persons directly connected with and
who need to know a child's free and reduced price meal eligibility status in order to
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administer and enforce the Title I requirements under the NCLB. The statute, however,
does not allow the disclosure of any other information obtained from the free lunch
application form or obtained through the direct certification information received from
the food stamp office.
Revised: August, 2014
Ref:
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB); La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:82, 17:191,
17:192, 17:192.1, 17:195, 17:196, 17:197.1, 17:198, 17:199, 39:2101, 40:4;
Louisiana Sanitary Code, La. Dept. of Health and Hospitals; Board minutes, 113-76, 7-6-94, 5-14-03, 10-5-05, 6-7-06, 5-7-08, 8-4-10, 7-6-11, 11-6-13, 8-6-14.
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