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Meal Charging Guidelines

TTSD Guidelines for School Meal Account Charges and Balances

Oregon House Bill 3454 was signed into law on August 8, 2017, outlining communication not allowed in Oregon school cafeterias.  The law is intended to stop communication practices that shame students unable to pay for a school meal and any unpaid meal account balances and collection of these funds. 

Examples of prohibited communication:

  • Publicly identifying a student who is unable to pay for a meal or has an unpaid lunch balance.
  • Notifying a student about unpaid account balance amounts. 
  • Serving an alternate meal to a student who is unable to pay for their meal.
  • Assess fees related to collection agencies to parents or guardians. 

House Bill 3454 outlines the following approved guidelines:

  • Communicate only with parents or guardians about unpaid meal account balances.
  • Notify parents about Free or Reduced-price eligibility when their student owes more than the cost of five meals. 
  • Offer assistance to parents in completing the Free or Reduced-price meal application.

The Tigard-Tualatin School District will follow the above guidelines and will allow meal charges during meal times if the student is unable to pay for their meal.  A meal charge will be added to the student's meal account and unpaid meal balances will be the responsibility of the parent or guardian. 

As specified by the law, the district is unable to establish a debt limit.  Parents or guardians may opt-out of meal charging for their students by submitting a request in writing via email, ttsdfoodservice@ttsd.k12.or.us or US mail to the Nutrition Services Office, 6960 SW Sandburg St, Tigard, OR 97223 

 Meal Account Management and Notification of Unpaid Meal Account Balances

  • Prepayment for meals can be made through LINQ or at the school cafeteria.  Checks and cash will be accepted at the schools and credit or debit cards may be used at LINQ.
  • Parents can monitor and receive alerts for their student's lunch account balance through LINQ Connect.

 

The District will notify parents of unpaid meal account balances through the following communication:

  • Sending weekly emails with unpaid account balances
  • Utilize automated phone messaging after no response from parents or guardians
  • Sending letters notifying parents of unpaid meal account balances