We have three convenient ways to pay for meals.  Prepaid meals are always encouraged.  This helps speed up our service and ensure that your child always has money on account for a meal.

We don’t want to see any child go hungry!  If your child forgets their money this is what we will do:

Meal Charging Procedure District Process
Food Service Bad Debt
(Individual Account Unpaid Balances)

Meals and/or snacks being purchased through our Food Service Department must
be paid for at the time of purchase or prepaid by making a deposit into their
individual account.
● Payments can be made with cash or check directly at the register in each building
cafeteria and these transactions will be posted to each person’s individual account.
● Families also have the opportunity to deposit funds electronically into their child’s
individual accounts through the link Caledonia.FamilyPortal.cloud.
● Each week the Food Service Department will send email notifications to anyone
with a negative balance on their account as a reminder to make another deposit
and pay the negative balance. Beginning August 20, 2023, the district will no longer
allow any students to charge any a la carte items or second meal charges without a
positive balance in their account.
● If hardship circumstances exist, free and reduced applications are available
throughout the year at each building front desk. The application can also be
completed electronically through visiting the district’s website under the Food
Service Department. We are continuing to promote and encourage families to
complete the free and reduced application as this provides other benefits to help
families.
● These charging procedures can be found in the Student Handbooks and on the
district’s website at www.calschools.org.
● This meal charge policy prevents lunch shaming with the specifics outlined below:
     ○ prohibits the requiring of students who cannot pay for a school meal or who
        owe a negative balance to wear a wristband or handstamp
     ○ prohibits the requiring of students who cannot pay for a school meal or who
        owe a negative balance to perform chores or other work to pay for school
        meals
     ○ prohibits the requiring of students to dispose of a meal after it has been
        served because the student is unable to pay for the meal or has a negative
        balance
    ○ prohibits the direct communication with a student about a negative balance
       unless the district has unsuccessfully attempted to contact the student’s
       parent or legal guardian first through telephone, mail, and electronic mail
   ○ prohibits discussing a negative balance with a student in the presence of
      other students

● For any questions please contact the Food Service Department at 616-891-0227 or
email mahaneym@calschools.org.

We appreciate your help in following this policy.