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Massena Central owed close to $18,000 in lunch charges; most debt held by 20-25 families

Posted 4/21/15

By ANDY GARDNER MASSENA -- Massena school district’s director of food services says the school is owed nearly $18,000 in unpaid lunch charges and the district needs to limit how many meals students …

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Massena Central owed close to $18,000 in lunch charges; most debt held by 20-25 families

Posted

By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Massena school district’s director of food services says the school is owed nearly $18,000 in unpaid lunch charges and the district needs to limit how many meals students can charge.

The district is stuck with $17,826.75 in lunch charge arrears, about $13,000 of which is owed by 20 to 25 families, including 39 students between kindergarten and sixth grade, according to Peter Bertrand.

“Individual students, as well as families with multiple students, have not provided money for lunch,” Bertrand said, adding that individual bills range from as little as 50 cents to as much as $1,100.

He said the district sends letters home reminding them of the negative balance and informing how to apply for free or reduced lunch.

“I had one principal call the parent to arrange a meeting … they said they would pay and there was no reason to have the meeting and nothing happened,” Bertrand said.

He suggested the board look at updating their policy at the start of the upcoming fiscal year in July.

Bertrand said a big part of the problem is there is no limit on meal charges for kindergarten through grade six. In grades seven through 12, they can charge $10. After that, if not paid, they get what he called an austerity meal, consisting of a peanut butter sandwich, cheese stick and fruit cup.

He said he researched other districts’ charge policies, including Potsdam and Ogdensburg, which limit charges at all grade levels.