Food Service FAQs
- Why did my child
receive a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or cheese sandwich for lunch?
- What is the charge policy for the food service department?
- How
can I limit what my c
- I
had an insufficient check, how can I repay the owed amount?
- What
are the current prices for lunch and breakfast?
- Why does my child bring home an application for meal benefits every y
- How can I make deposits to my child's
account?
- What information should I put on a check
for meals?
- What type of cash register system does the food service department use?
- Will my
child have the same student identification number while enrolled in BISD?
- My child was charged more at lunch
for only taking an entree and one item today, why?
- What does the student breakfast meal price include?
- What does
the student lunch meal price include?
- My child was charged more at breakfast for only taking one item today, why
- What happens to money left in my child's account at the end of the
school year?
- How does
the food service department handle food allergies?
- Are the menus analyzed for the amount of nutrients?
- Why do faculty and staff pay more for meals than students do?
- Who
administers/regulates the food service department?
- How much taxpayer money is used to operate the food service department?
1. Why did my child
receive a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or cheese sandwich for lunch?
Your child may have been given a peanut butter
and jelly sandwich or cheese sandwich and milk at no charge if he/she has
charged two or more lunch meals. Please repay the charges to the cafeteria as
soon as possible.
2. What
is the charge policy for the food service department?
The Bastrop Food Service Department will
allow students to charge 2 lunch meals. If the child reaches this limit,
he/she will be given a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or cheese sandwich,
milk, and fruit at no charge, instead of a hot meal. Breakfast charging is
not allowed. If a student owes money, he is not allowed to purchase snacks
until the account is paid in full. Parents are responsible for monitoring the
amount of money in their child’s account and for paying back any
outstanding charges.
3. How
can I limit what my child can purchase from his/her account?
A child's account can be blocked from a
la carte purchases at the parent’s request. This will not prohibit your
child from buying a la carte items but he/she must have the cash in hand in
order to purchase these items. The "block" will allow the account
to only be used for a full meal and will remain in effect as long as your
child attends the current school. Parents should send a note to the food
service manager at the school their child attends to request or cancel this
service.
4. I
had an insufficient check, how can I repay the owed amount?
Parents will receive a notice of
insufficient check in the mail from a check collection company. The amount to
be repaid should be the amount of the original check plus the additional bank
fees of $30.00 plus tax. Handle payment directly with the check collection
company and not with your campus. If the check is returned to Food Services
for being un-collectable, then you must clear this check plus all fees before
you regain your check writing privilege with Food Services.
5. What
are the current prices for lunch and breakfast?
Elementary lunch prices:
$1.50 for full paying students
$0.40 for students with reduced price meal benefits
Elementary breakfast price:
$0.90 for full paying students
$0.30 for students with reduced price meal benefits
Secondary lunch prices:
$1.75 for 5-8
$2.00 for 9-12
$0.40 for students with reduced price meal benefits
Secondary breakfast prices:
$1.00 for full paying students
$0.30 for students with reduced price meal benefits
Staff meal prices:
$2.50 for lunch at all school levels
$1.50 for breakfast at all school levels
Visitor meal prices:
$3.00 for lunch at all levels
$2.00 for breakfast at all levels
The National School Lunch and School
Breakfast Program requires an application be sent home with each district
student. The program provides free and reduced priced meals for children of
families unable to pay the full price of the meals.
To apply for these benefits, parents of students must fill out this
application and return it to the school or send it to the food service
office. Be sure to include the names of all students on one application,
complete the income information, sign the form and write the parent social
security number or the word ‘none’ in the appropriate space.
Qualification for this program is determined by the income criteria
determined yearly by the United States Department of Agriculture.
A new application must be filled out at the beginning of each school year.
Meal benefits begin on the day the application is approved in the food
service office and continues throughout the school year and the first thirty
school days of the next school year. Any student who does not have a current
application on file in the food service office will be unable to receive meal
benefits after thirty school calendar days into the new school year.
Foster children are considered a family of one and therefore only 1 foster
child can be on an application.
7.
How can I make deposits to my child's account?
Checks and cash can be sent to school
with your child to be deposited into their prepaid account. Please put checks
and especially cash in a sealed envelope with your child's name, grade and
district student identification number on the front. Bastrop ISD now offers a
new system called LUNCH MONEY NOW where parents can put money on their
child's account with a credit card. Please click on the icon for Lunch Money
Now.
8.
What information should I put on a check for meals?
Checks should be made out to Bastrop Food Service and include the student
name(s) and the district student identification number in the memo section.
If a check is written to cover more than one student in the district, all the
names of the children, the amount per each account and their student
identification number should be noted on the face of the check.
9. What type of cash register system
does the food service department use?
The Bastrop ISD Food Service Department
uses a computerized cash register system. This system allows us to account
for all meals served at each school. Each district student is assigned a
district student identification number. All students in the secondary &
elementary schools will scan their identification card at the cash register
at both breakfast and lunch. The current money balance in the student’s
meal account will be shown on the register screen. If an account has enough
money, the transaction will be processed and the amount of the meal will be
deducted from the student’s balance. If there is not enough money in the
account, the student’s account will be debited for the meal.
Students receiving free meals will automatically have an account
balance of one lunch and one breakfast per day. A la carte items may be
purchased from money in the account or paid for with cash.
Yes, a district student identification number will be assigned to all current
students in the district. The number your child is issued will be valid while
attending kindergarten through high school. Student numbers are available
from the front office at the school your child attends.
11. My child was
charged more at lunch for only taking an entree and one item today, why?
To receive the stated lunch meal price, the
student needs to have chosen at least three of the components offered. Milk
can be counted as 1 component. If a total of 3 components are not on the
tray, the student will be charged ala carte prices which could cost you more
than the stated meal price.
12. What
does the student breakfast meal price inclu
To receive the stated breakfast meal
price, the student needs to have at least three components offered. If three
components are not on their tray, the student will be charged ala carte
prices. 1% Milk, white or chocolate, is considered a component. The student
may choose to take all components offered that day for the same price.
13. What does the student lunch meal price
include?
To receive the stated lunch meal price,
the student needs to have an at least three components offered. If three
components are not on their tray, the student will be charged ala carte
prices. 1% Milk, white or chocolate, is considered as one component. The
student may choose to take all components offered that day for the same
price.
14. My
child was charged more at breakfast for only taking on
e item today, why
15. What
happens to money left in my child's account at the end of the school year?
Any money left in the child’s account at the end of the school year will be
available on the first day of school the following year. The funds will also
advance to another school in the district as your child progresses through
Bastrop ISD.
16.
How does the food service department handle food allergies?
Food allergies (including milk
allergies) require a doctor’s order to be on file with the food service
department. The doctor’s order should be sent to the food service manager
at the school your child attends each year. This note is a doctor’s note
telling Food Services what needs to be done for this students allergy. Food
Services does not change menus or diets for non-medical reasons.
A memo will be placed on the POS to remind the cashier of the allergy.
Questions should be directed to the district Food Service Director.
17. Are the menus analyzed for the
amount of nutrients?
Yes, during the School Meal Initiative
.Our goal is to hire or contract a Dietician or Nutritionalist for the
district. Nutrients analyzed include number of calories, fat, saturated fat,
protein, calcium, vitamin C, Iron and Vitamin A.
18. Why
do faculty and staff pay more for meals than students do?
The district receives federal
reimbursement for meals served to children only. The value of this
reimbursement plus any donated commodities must not be used to subsidize
adult meals. Therefore we must charge the highest price student meal plus the
reimbursement and the commodity price.
19.
Who administers/regulates the food service department?
Bastrop
20.
How much taxpayer money is used to operate the food service department?
The food service department is a
self-sustaining operation. Taxpayer funds from the Bastrop ISD general fund
are not used for the operation of the food service department. Approximately
25% of the revenue is received from the federal government under the National
School Lunch Program, while 75% is generated from the local students and
staff.