Food Services Newsletter

The Boyertown Area School District Food Services Department is dedicated to providing well-balanced breakfast and lunch meals to students that meet, or exceed, the nutritional guidelines of the National Lunch Program and School Breakfast Programs. There are several breakfast and lunch entrée choices each day, including both hot and cold selections, along with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as low fat and fat free milk. This provides students with nutritional components that are both appealing and support learning.

Included in this newsletter, you will find

• BASD Food Services Program Information
• Information on the meal items needed to meet the requirements of a complete breakfast meal. Examples provided.
• Information on the meal components needed to meet the requirements of a complete lunch meal. Examples provided.
• 2024-2025 Household Letter that must be sent annually by all School Food Authorities and includes the following:
  
• Information on the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program
• Income guidelines
• How to apply for free/reduced-priced meals – www.schoolcafe.com
  
• The Household Letter will also be emailed or mailed to each household from Primero Edge, the PA Student Eligibility System

• Breakfast Announcement
• Breakfast will be served daily at each building. If there is a weather delay, breakfast will not be served.
• Breakfast will be served at no charge to students for the 2024-2025 school year due to the continuation of the free breakfast for all students initiative.

• Information on EZSchoolPay, our online payment system – www.ezschoolpay.com
• Boyertown Area School District Student Meal Charging Procedure District Guidelines
  

Boyertown Area School District encourages parents/guardians that feel they would qualify for

free/reduced meals to complete the application for free/reduced meals online at

www.schoolcafe.com. A determination of free/reduced is necessary to qualify for free/reduced

meals, as well as waived or reduced school and activity fees, medical benefits, and utilities benefits.

If you receive a Notification of Approval for Direct Certification Meal Benefits you do NOT need to

complete an online Free/Reduced Meals Application. Please keep this document for your records

and submit it to the appropriate department as documentation for waived or reduced fees.

If you receive a Notification of Approval for an income-based application, please keep this document for your records and submit it to the appropriate department as documentation for waived or reduced fees.

***Please be advised that menus will be available online prior to the start of the 2024-2025 school year and are subject to change without notice based on staffing and item availability. Boyertown Area School District will continue to strive to provide nutritious and appealing meals to our students as we navigate uncertain times.

Boyertown Area School District strives to provide nutritious and appealing menu options that align with the guidelines set forth by the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.

In order to help you and your child/children understand what qualifies as a meal, please see the information provided below.

IMPORTANT: A breakfast and lunch meal MUST include a ½ cup serving of fruit or vegetable in order to qualify as a complete meal.

To make a complete breakfast meal – 3 items must be taken

Examples:

• Waffles (equal to 2 items), serving of fruit or juice = minimum required
• Waffles (equal to 2 items), Serving of fruit or juice, milk = acceptable meal
• Cereal (1 item), serving of fruit or juice, milk = minimum required
• Cereal and pop tart (2 items), serving of fruit or juice = minimum required
• Cereal and pop tart (2 items), serving of fruit or juice, milk = acceptable meal

To make a complete lunch meal – 3 meal components must be taken

Examples:

• Chicken tenders w/roll (entrée equals 2 meal components), serving of vegetable OR fruit = minimum required
• Chicken tenders w/roll (entrée equals 2 meal components), serving of vegetable, serving of fruit, milk = acceptable meal
• Pizza (entrée equals 2 meal components), serving of vegetable OR fruit = minimum required
• Pizza (entrée equals 2 meal components), vegetable, fruit, milk = acceptable meal
• PBJ or Yogurt Meal (equals 2 meal components), serving of vegetable OR fruit = minimum required
• PBJ or Yogurt Meal (equals 2 meal components), vegetable, fruit, milk = acceptable meal

**If the minimum requirements are not met, your child/children will be asked to take another item in order for it to qualify as a meal. If they do not do this, they will be charged at the higher a la carte pricing.

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Breakfast for All Grade Levels $0.00

Senior High School Lunch - $3.40
Middle School Lunch - $3.15
Elementary School Lunch - $2.85

Reduced Breakfast and Lunch for All Grade Levels $0.00

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If you have questions regarding free and reduced price school meals, please read the attached 2024-2025 Household letter.

All students in the Boyertown Area School District have the opportunity to receive breakfast in the cafeteria each school day. There will be a continuation of the Governor's free breakfast initiative to provide breakfast to students at no charge for those schools participating the School Breakfast Program. Therefore, students will not be charged for breakfast for the 2024-2025 school year.

Breakfast will be available during the following time each morning:

Secondary Schools 7:15am to 7:40am

Elementary Schools 8:25am to 8:45am

Our breakfasts include a variety of healthy and tasty choices including such items as cereal, mini waffles, mini french toast, muffins, cereal bars, pop tarts, fresh fruits, 100% juices and a variety of milk. Students at the Middle School and Elementary levels are required to select an Entrée and must take at least 1 serving of Fruit or Vegetable to make a complete breakfast. A total of 3 items must be taken to make a complete meal. Milk is included as part of the meal. Senior High students are encouraged to do this as well, but are not required to purchase a complete meal. Instead,

Senior High students have the option to purchase a la carte items, which are individually priced.

To see a complete listing of our menu offerings, which duplicate bi-weekly throughout the year, please visit the Boyertown Area School District website , select Departments, and choose Food Services.

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Students are encouraged to purchase school meals. For those who pack their lunch, milk may be purchased separately for $.65. There are also a variety of healthy snacks available for purchase to supplement the regular lunch. There must be funds available in the meal account to purchase a la carte and snack items.

A Point of Sale (POS) system is in place at all schools in the Boyertown School District. An account is set up for your student according to their student ID number. This enables students to purchase meals and snack items in the cafeteria without having to use cash every day. This operates like a debit system.

Each student is assigned an account using their student ID number and photo for identification in the POS system. After a student decides what he/she wants to purchase for a meal, he/she will approach the cashier. The cashier will access the student’s account. The cost of the purchase will be automatically deducted from their account. Please discuss with your student how you expect

him/her to use the money deposited, since the funds may be used to purchase meals, beverages,
snack items, or any combination of items.

If you prefer not to take advantage of ezschoolpay, please send cash or check in an envelope with your student’s full name, grade, and homeroom number to the cafeteria or school office. We suggest that you place a sufficient amount of money in your student’s account according to their participation in the program. Checks should be made payable to Boyertown Area School District

Cafeteria Fund (BASD Cafe Fund).

Parents do have control over how the money is spent in the cafeteria. For example, if you do not want your student to purchase snacks, please send a note to the Food Service Manager in the building your student attends with instructions. We will make every effort possible to accommodate your request.

Any money that is left in your child’s account will be carried over to the next school year. When withdrawing from school, parent/guardian must make arrangements with the Food Service Manager to be reimbursed for any money left on a child’s account.

**There is a $45.00 Charge for Checks Returned for Insufficient Funds**

In our efforts to continue to provide parents of students within the Boyertown Area School District with convenient and efficient online debiting services, the district offers an online service called EZSchoolPay.

EZSchoolPay will help you better manage your child's school meal account. You are able to check your child’s school meal account balance and purchases online, as well as make payments to your child’s account with your Visa or MasterCard. The convenience fee is $1.75 per transaction.

This service is available at www.ezschoolpay.com. Simply follow the instructions to setup your child’s account. Parents will be instructed to create an account and link their children to the account before entering a credit/payment. You will need to know your child’s Student ID number when setting up their account. You may find the Student ID number on the emergency card for elementary students and the child’s schedule for secondary students. You will receive these documents before the start of school. The student ID number can also be found on your child’s report card.

Online payments received via the school's computerized food service system are automatically applied to your child’s account within minutes; therefore, funds are ready and available for use by your child. In addition to helping the school take advantage of the latest technology, this service is a great convenience to parents. You can be assured that your children’s meals will continue uninterrupted.

Boyertown Area School District Food Service Department strives to provide a balanced, nutritional school meal program for all children, and to provide support and options for parents. EZSchoolPay partners smoothly with the Boyertown Food Service software to provide parents and the school district with the most efficient and convenient way to manage school meal account balances.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Food Service department at 610-369-7419 or email cclinton@boyertownasd.org.

Boyertown Area School District participates in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”). A household letter will be emailed/mailed to parents/guardians at the start of the new school year with information on applying for free or reduced meals. The information is also available on the BASD website. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to apply for free or reduced-price benefits through schoolcafe.com.

The following procedure will be implemented in coordination with School Board Policy 808.

• No student who requests a meal will be denied the main lunch option unless the student’s parent or guardian has provided written permission to withhold a school lunch.
• A student’s tray is to never be taken away from them after being served due to the student’s inability to pay for the meal or the amount owed. The meal will be charged to the student’s account.
• Ala cart sales will not be allowed if a student carries a negative balance. A student will be informed that they can only purchase a meal. An ala cart item will be removed from a student’s tray at the register if they carry a negative balance.
• Parents are strongly encouraged to enroll in Ezschoolpay.com to set up notification alerts and view their child’s account.Emails can be set to notify a low or negative balance. It is recommended to be set at $5.00. If you prefer, you have the option to make online payments through this website with a fee of $1.75 per transaction. We will still accept checks and cash in an envelope marked with your child’s name, homeroom, and ID number. You also have the option to make restrictions or limits on ala cart purchases. Requests must be made in writing or emailed to your child’s building Food Service Manager.
• A student will not be used as a communication channel with the parent/guardian. All communications must be directed to the parents/guardians, NOT the students, regarding negative accounts.
• Communication, such as emails or letters, will be sent to the parent/guardian when a student’s account reaches $ 5.00 or less.
• If a child’s account falls into the negative, a balance notification email will be sent daily. If a parent/guardian does not have access to email, a written notification will be mailed weekly.
• The building Principal will be informed by the food service manager when a student’s account reaches a negative balance of $25.00. When a negative balance of $25.00 or greater exists, the building principal will contact the parent /guardian and will follow up with a written letter/email.
• If there is a non-response to the principal, the Chief Financial Officer will be informed, and additional collection measures will be pursued.
• Employees cannot charge meals or ala cart items.
• All debts must be paid off at the end of the school year.
• Any negative balance left at the end of the school year will be considered an obligation and are to be paid.
• Food Service Staff will be trained annually on the guidelines of Policy 808 and the meal charging procedure.
• No student who owes money or does not have money for a school meal will be publicly identified, stigmatized, or required to do work or chores.
• Insufficient Funds Fee: There is a $45.00 charge for Checks returned for insufficient funds.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice

and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at:

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to

inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

(1) mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

(2) fax:

(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email:

program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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