When it comes to handling excessive lunch tabs, the Warren County School District's pay up policy is beginning to pay off.
In fact, parents who don't pony up for their child's delinquent accounts could find themselves on the receiving end of civil action.
A year after students in the school district ran up $121,000 in lunch tabs, school officials say a new policy in place is helping to prevent a similar fate. The new guidelines include sending letters home to parents when a child charges more than $10 and includes shutting students off from school lunches if balances are not paid.
"What we did at the end of last year was reset each child's account to zero so the new policy would be enforced going forward," said Jim Grosch, school district business manager.
The new policy states: A child will receive a "basic lunch" consisting of a cheese sandwich, fruit, juice or milk if a incurred balance reaches $10; If a child's balance reaches $30 or more, students will be "shut off" from receiving a school-served lunch.
Grosch said there are currently five students who are above the $30 threshold, and noted the school district currently has $5,000 in past-due payments this school year. "Right now we are doing great" with the new policy, he said.
And when it comes to collecting last year's debt, the school district has that covered, too.
Grosch said all parents with outstanding balances from the 2010-11 school year were given a "first notice" of past-due accounts over the summer, which required full or scheduled payments. The letters said if payment arrangements were not made by a certain date, each account would be charged an additional 10 percent in penalties.
Those letters did the trick, Grosch said, noting that $37,720 has been recouped by the school district as of January. "It certainly has worked," he said.
However, to recover the balance of owed money approximately $83,000 Grosch said more action may be necessary. He said a second, final notice was recently sent, giving parents until Feb. 15 to make payment arrangements. Those who fail to respond, he said, would be subject to "civil actions."
In part, the final notice states, "If we do not receive payment or if you fail to make payment arrangements by Feb. 15, 2012, we will file a civil complaint against you with the local Magisterial District Court." Attached with that letter was costs of district magistrate fee for civil cases with District Judge Laura Bauer.
Those courts fees range from $82.50 to $114 and would be added to delinquent accounts, Grosch said.
However, Grosch said, the school district is not looking to take anyone to court or to shut students off from receiving a lunch. Rather, he said, "We just want to get that money back."
But he added, "If we don't get it, we would take action."
Grosch emphasized that parents should contact the school district to make payment arrangements, and added that parents should also inquire about the free and reduce lunch program. He said applying for the reduced rates help students avoid incurring debt as well as "other benefits."
"We really encourage all parents to give us a call about reduced and free lunches," Grosch said. "We want to do everything we can."