Ellwood City Area School Board voted during its October 10 meeting to recommend a revision to the Food Services Policy 808.
The move was prompted by a continued rise in school lunch debt. The new policy would give the district the allowance to use an outside agency to collect unpaid debt.
The board could vote to adopt this policy during its November 14 meeting.
Richard Zarone, district business manager spoke at the October 7 board committee meeting. He said the debt has reached $3,600 already for the year. He said there would be no cost to hire an agency as it would paid by the fees incurred by the debtor. He said the four-tier process would include two warning letters, one certified warning letter, and then the matter would be turned over to the collection agency.
The school board and administrators have been urging parents to apply for free or reduced lunches. They can do so at SchoolCafe.com. School Superintendent Joseph Mancini said if any family needs assistance in filling out the applications, they are free to stop by the school. Mancini noted previously that even when in doubt of qualification parents should apply.
“On average, over 50 percent of the students in the Ellwood City Schools are on free or reduced meal programs and now we are starting to see other students who cannot afford to pay,” he said previously. “We encourage all parents to go online and fill out the free and reduced application because they may qualify even if they don’t think they will.”
To view the entire proposed Ellwood City Area School District Meal Charge policy and the proposed collection process, click here
Video below from the Ellwood City School Board YouTube.com channel:
Riddle me this Ellwood School Board… How much will you be paying to hire a company to collect the schools lunch dept? I’m willing to bet its much more than what is owed.