Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) has procedures that guide how the school system handles unpaid meal accounts. Superintendent’s Rule 3842 outlines how the school system handles negative meal account balances. The Rule applies only to students who pay full or reduced prices for meals. The guidelines do not apply to children who receive free meals from CCPS.
Parents/guardians are expected to ensure that their child’s meal account is properly funded. CCPS will first notify parents through email and voicemail when a child’s account is empty, or has a $0 balance. Parents can sign up to use My Payments Plus, an online prepayment system used by CCPS, to fund breakfast and lunch costs for their children.
Students with no money on their meal accounts receive an initial credit from CCPS and the amount varies depending upon the grade level of the child. Elementary students receive a $25 meal credit, middle school students receive a $15 meal credit, and high school students receive a $10 meal credit.
Credits are given only for students who attempt to purchase meals and have no money on their account. Once a student uses all of the credit, they will receive an alternate main entrée until their account balance is paid. Payment of the account includes the credit given by the school system.
Elementary school students will receive a cheese sandwich as their main entrée selection until the account is paid. Middle and high school students will receive a cheese sandwich as their entrée selection for up to three school days. Once the student has received three alternate meals, no other meals will be served until the account is paid.
CCPS notifies parents through email or voicemail when meal account balances are negative. Letters are sent home weekly with elementary school students and monthly for middle and high school students who have negative account balances.
Alternate meals include other items served with breakfast and lunch, such as fruit, a vegetable and milk. Unpaid meal charges may be carried over at the end of a school year to the following school year. Students with delinquent debt may be ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities, including promotional ceremonies, clubs, sports and other activities.
CCPS will make reasonable efforts to collect unpaid meal charges classified as delinquent debt. Contact the Food and Nutrition Services Department at 301-392-5570 or your child’s principal with questions about alternate meals and unpaid meal balances. Parents can sign up for My Payments Plus at https://www2.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome. The Rule is posted on the CCPS website, under the parents section of the main menu, at www.ccboe.com.
