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Board gives first reading to School Meals Policy 534, which bans lunch shaming and details unpaid meal procedures
Summary
At the March 23 meeting the board held a first reading of draft Policy 534, covering meal payments, prohibitions on lunch shaming, notification of low balances, delinquent debt collection and communications. The policy references Minnesota statutes and USDA regulations.
The Hill City School Board conducted a first reading of draft Policy 534 — School Meals Policy — at its March 23 meeting. The draft policy defines payment expectations for a la carte and second meals, requires reasonable notification for low or negative meal account balances, and explicitly prohibits practices the district considers forms of “lunch shaming.”
Policy 534 states: “The policy of the school district is to provide meals to students in a respectful manner and to maintain the dignity of students by prohibiting lunch shaming or otherwise ostracizing the student.” It also specifies that once a meal has been placed on a student’s tray or otherwise served, the meal may not be withdrawn by a cashier or school official; families will be notified when balances fall below zero; and the district may use collection agencies for delinquent meal charges after reasonable efforts to collect.
The draft cites state and federal authorities including Minn. Stat. § 123B.37 and Minn. Stat. § 124D.111, and federal USDA regulations and policy memoranda. The board recorded the first reading; adoption will require a future action if the board moves beyond the current reading.
