Board hears complaints about school meal charging, convenience fees and donation portal

Parents and advisory chairs urged clearer rules and faster communication after the district reported rising lunch‑debt levels and confusion about how courtesy meals and transaction fees are handled.

Why it matters: student nutrition and meal debt affect daily learning for children and strain school accounts. Parents described inconsistent practices — some schools accepting cash without charging convenience fees, others directing families to MySchoolBucks and adding a convenience fee. The inconsistency has left families and principals uncertain and has prompted a patchwork of local relief efforts.

What staff said: Deputy and food‑services staff told the board that, since the start of the school year, schools have been ensuring children receive a hot lunch when they lack funds while the district pursues longer‑term communications and supports. Staff said the district is encouraging families to apply for free‑ and reduced‑price meals year‑round and is working with cities and community partners to cover balances in some schools. The district also launched an online donation portal for community contributions to reduce lunch debt; staff said donations designated to a particular school are routed to that school, while undesignated funds are used to offset deficits in schools with the greatest need.

Key disagreements and follow‑up requests: Parents and board members pressed staff for clarity on several points: whether cash payments at cafeterias are incorrectly assessed convenience fees; whether all schools can accept cash without an added transaction fee; the exact amount currently owed districtwide; and how the new donation portal decides distribution. Staff said they will post a memo clarifying procedures, provide principals with updated guidance, and circulate detailed reports on the donation account and outstanding balances. Board members also asked staff to brief the board in a workshop on the budgetary implications of rising meal charges and to propose options to reduce student hunger in the short term.

A formal advisory motion: The North Area advisory committee reported it unanimously passed a motion requesting the district return school accountability rollover funds to schools (motion recorded by the advisory; the board was told those funds were being returned to schools and that some categorical rollover questions remain under review).

What’s next: Staff will send a district‑wide memo clarifying cafeteria payment procedures, publish additional information on the donation portal, and provide updated reports on outstanding meal debt and the status of accountability money rollovers.