School Charge Policies in Maryland: Best Practices for Preventing Meal Debt

Fall 2019 Acknowledgements

This report was prepared by Julia Gross, anti- program associate at Maryland Hunger Solutions. Maryland Hunger Solutions acknowledges the contributions of Daniel Keesler to the foundational research efforts for this report.

Maryland Hunger Solutions gratefully acknowledges the following funders for their work to improve and expand participation in the School Program in Maryland:

Consumer Foundation Fund for Change Helen J. Serini Foundation Hunger Is, a program of The Albertsons Companies Foundation Johns Hopkins University Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States Morningstar Foundation Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund

About Maryland Hunger Solutions

Maryland Hunger Solutions, founded in 2007 by the Research & Action Center, works to end hunger and improve the , health, and well-being of individuals, children, and families in Maryland. Maryland Hunger Solutions uses a three-pronged strategy to:

provide education about the stark reality of hunger’s existence in Maryland and the proven solutions to reduce food insecurity; improve public policies to end food insecurity and ; and ensure that all eligible residents are connected to federal and state nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (known as the Food Supplement Program in Maryland) and school programs.

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 2 Introduction

During the 2018–2019 school year, over 900,000 When a who is required to pay the full children attended one of the more than 1,400 or reduced cost of their meal arrives in the public throughout Maryland’s 24 public without funds to purchase their meal, school systems. Across the state, these schools they start to accrue school meal debt. School served a combined average of over 240,000 meal debt is a growing challenge among school and 405,000 to districts nationwide, including among many every school day through the School Breakfast school districts in Maryland. In response to this Program and National School Program. challenge, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) required all school districts that serve The and National meals through the School Breakfast Program, School Lunch Program are instrumental in National School Lunch Program, or both to guaranteeing that students have access to the establish and clearly communicate a local meal nutrition they need to learn and thrive. These charge policy by July 1, 2017. USDA has issued programs provide schools with federal funding guidance on developing strong policies, but that allows them to serve healthy meals during there are no federal requirements for what the school day at no or low cost, ensuring that must be included in the policy, nor are there students are not distracted by hunger. Students baseline protections for children and families. may qualify for free or reduced-price meals USDA also gave states the option to create a based on their household income. In the 2018– cohesive statewide policy, and while a number 2019 school year, over 333,000 students in of states have created one, Maryland has not Maryland were eligible to receive free school yet done so. This leaves individual districts meals, and over 51,000 were eligible to receive responsible for creating fair and effective school meals at a reduced price. However, these policies that protect students from shame and numbers represent only a portion of the stigmatization. students who rely on school meals every day to help meet their nutritional needs.

About this Report

This report looks at meal charge policies in 21 use the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) out of Maryland’s 24 school districts for school districtwide to provide school meals at no year 2018–2019, and makes recommendations charge to all of their students, effectively on best practices for preventing and responding eliminating school meal debt and the need for a to the issue of school meal debt while meal charge policy. considering the impact on children and families. The three districts not included in the findings School systems that are not using CEP of this report are Baltimore City, Dorchester districtwide can strengthen their nutrition County, and Somerset County. These districts programs while preserving the dignity of the

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 3 children and families they serve by implementing establish a system that quickly and the following measures: appropriately responds to school meal debt as it occurs. ensure that all eligible students are certified for free or reduced-price meals; By enacting effective meal charge policies, prevent the accumulation of debt by providing school districts in Maryland can ensure that the meals at no cost to all students when possible cafeteria is a positive and supportive or waiving the reduced-price copay for environment for all students, and that the students in the reduced-price category; children of Maryland receive the nutritional abolish harmful practices that shame, support they need with the compassion and stigmatize, or otherwise punish students for a dignity they deserve. lack of money; and

How School Meal Programs Work

Who Operates School Meal Programs? the following federal reimbursements for school

meals: The School Breakfast Program and National $1.79 per free breakfast and $3.31 per free School Lunch Program are administered by lunch; USDA at the federal level and through the $1.49 per reduced-price breakfast and $2.91 Maryland State Department of Education in per reduced-price lunch; and Maryland. Any public school, nonprofit private $0.31 per “paid” breakfast and $0.31 per school, or residential care institution can “paid” lunch. participate in either or both of these programs,

and any student attending a school that offers In school year 2019–2020, Maryland will begin to either or both of these programs can eat phase out the reduced-price copay as required breakfast, lunch, or both meals. by the Maryland Cares for Kids Act of 2018. In

How are School Districts Reimbursed? accordance with this law, the state will be responsible for covering $0.10 of every reduced- Schools that serve meals are reimbursed by the price meal served in school year 2019–2020. The federal government at set rates depending on amount that the state pays will increase by whether a student is receiving free, reduced- $0.10 every year until the reduced-price copay is price, or paid meals. Under federal guidelines, eliminated, which will be in school year 2021– students certified for reduced-price meals can 2022 for breakfast, and school year 2022–2023 be charged a maximum of $0.30 for breakfast for lunch. and $0.40 for lunch, and those who are not certified for free or reduced-price school meals How are Students Certified for Free and Reduced- generally are charged the cost of their meal as Price Meals? set by the school district, minus a small federal reimbursement. Most children are certified for free or reduced- price meals via applications collected by the For the 2018–2019 school year, schools received school district at the beginning of the school

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 4 year or during the school year. However, categorically eligible children may be missed in children in households participating in the this process, requiring the household to submit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program a school meals application; however, these (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy households are not required to complete the Families (TANF), the Food Distribution Program income information section of the application. on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), as well as foster youth, migrant, homeless, or runaway youth, High-poverty schools in which 40 percent or and Head Start participants are “categorically more of students are directly certified for free eligible” (automatically eligible) for free school meals may opt to use CEP to offer free breakfast meals and can be certified without submitting a and lunch to all students. Under CEP, schools do school meal application. not have to collect or process school meal applications, or track meals served based on School districts are required to “directly certify” payment category. Instead, school meals are children in households participating in SNAP for served at no cost to all students, and schools free school meals through data-matching of are reimbursed using a formula that is based on SNAP records with school enrollment lists. their direct certification percentage and a School districts also have the option of directly multiplier of 1.6. This multiplier accounts for the certifying other categorically eligible children additional students in the school who would and can coordinate with personnel such as the have been certified for free and reduced-price school district’s homeless and migrant school meals through the traditional school education liaisons to obtain documentation to meals application process. certify children for free school meals. Some

What is School Meal Debt?

School meal debt begins to accrue when a procedures and clearly communicating them to student arrives to the cafeteria without the funds parents, , and school staff in order to necessary to cover the cost of their meal. In some respond appropriately when students arrive in cases, this may indicate a change in household the cafeteria without the funds to purchase income status. It may indicate that the family is their meal. Recently, schools across the country struggling financially even if they are just above that employ or have considered employing the cutoff line for free or reduced-price school harsh practices intended to shame, stigmatize, meals, which especially can happen to families in or otherwise punish students who cannot pay states such as Maryland, where the cost of living for their meals have been thrust into the is high. Or it could be a misunderstanding of national spotlight. Some of the most common school meal procedures by the school staff or by punishments meted out against students parents or guardians. include throwing away hot meals that had already been served to students, serving cold How Does This Lead to Shaming? sandwiches (often referred to as the “shame sandwich”) as an alternative meal, and School districts are responsible for establishing

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 5 marking students with stamps or wristbands to debt” and must be covered by a nonfederal indicate their lack of money. funding source.

How Does This Impact Maryland School Districts? Schools participating in CEP offer meals at no charge to all students, so those schools are not A recent School Nutrition Association report has impacted by unpaid school meal fees. As of shown that across the country, 3 out of 4 school year 2018–2019, 232 schools in Maryland schools had meal debt in school year 2017– use CEP to offer meals at no charge to all 2018. Maryland schools are no exception. students, including the entire districts of During the 2018–2019 school year, the amount Baltimore City, Dorchester County, and of debt accrued by Maryland school districts Somerset County. At the conclusion of the ranged from $3,000 to almost $100,000. Under 2018–2019 school year, 58 additional high- federal law, any school meal debt that cannot poverty schools were eligible to implement CEP. be recovered from families is classified as "bad

Addressing School Meal Debt

The passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Federal Guidance Act of 2010 required USDA to examine the need for national standards for unpaid school meal Although USDA does not require what must be charges policies. Following this requirement, included in a policy or any specific practices, USDA solicited public input through a Request they published Overcoming the Unpaid Meal for Comments, hosted a series of webinars, and Challenge: Proven Strategies from Our Nation’s examined state and school district policies in Schools, as well as several other resources, as a place at the time. As a result, USDA required way to promote best practices in school meal that all school districts establish a policy by July charge policy creation. Examples of strategies 1, 2017, and to clearly communicate that policy that were suggested by USDA include: taking to households at least once per year. steps to ensure that all students who are

1

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 6 eligible for free or reduced-price school meals stage agency, others have enacted legislation are certified to receive them, such as to create rules that address various elements of strengthening the direct certification process school meal debt, including abolishing shaming and providing free and reduced-price meal practices, establishing prevention methods application assistance; implementing policies (such as connecting eligible households to free that avoid student distress and stigmatization; and reduced-price meals), communicating responding quickly with discreet these policies to households, and other communications to parents and guardians practices that are intended to reduce school when students begin to accrue school meal meal debt and the stigma associated with it. A debt; and offering to work with families to number of states have statewide meal charge create repayment plans that fit their needs and policies that address meal shaming, including: financial situations. Arizona, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas, State Guidance , Washington, and West Virginia.

Under USDA regulations, states can establish Currently, Maryland does not have any statewide policies aimed at eliminating shame statewide policy requirements, nor are school and providing nutritious, reimbursable meals to districts required by the state to include any all students, regardless of their ability to pay. best practices in their individual policies. While some states have done this through their

School Meal Charge Policy Findings

Communication of Policies Unpaid Meal Charges: Guidance and Q&A provides more detail for this requirement by USDA’s policy guidance required all school including a mandate for each school district to districts to establish a clearly communicated distribute its policy in writing to all households at meal charge policy by July 1, 2017. USDA's the beginning of every school year and to new

Resources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food Research & Action Center USDA policy resources: Unpaid Meal Charges Webpage Unpaid Meal Charges: Guidance and Q&A Preventing Lunch Shaming: Communication Strategies Overcoming the Unpaid Meal Challenge: Proven Strategies from Our Nation's Schools

The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) has created several resources that school districts can use to strengthen their policies. Establishing Unpaid Meal Fee Policies: Best Practices to Ensure Access and Prevent Stigma Best Practices for Preventing or Reducing School Meal Debt

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 7 households coming into the system during the school year. This could include adding the Methods of Policy policy to existing printed materials, such as Communication Used by student handbooks, , or the free and Maryland School Districts reduced-price meal application. However, while posting the policy on the school district's website is considered to be helpful, it does not 18/21 fulfill the communication requirement under school district have a written policy USDA guidelines.

As of spring 2019, this report finds that among Maryland’s 21 public school districts that 14/21 school districts included their require a meal charge policy, policy in alternative location (e.g.,

18 had a written policy that could be student handbook, school board accessed online or through a request to the manual) district’s food and nutrition services department; 14 published their policy in an alternative 11/21 location, such as a parent or student school districts distribute their handbook, school board policy manual, or policy to households annually school cafeteria . 11 are in compliance with the federal requirement to communicate this policy to 10/21 families once per year; school districts post their policies 10 made their policy available on the school on their Food and Nutrition Services district's website; and website

(Baltimore City, Dorchester County, and Somerset County are exempt from establishing indicating a need for improved transparency and a policy due to their districtwide uniformity. In addition, conversations with school implementation of CEP.) food and nutrition service departments in some cases revealed a lack of awareness regarding this See the appendix for a chart showing the policy, which presents an opportunity for more methods used to communicate their meal frequent and comprehensive policy training. charge policy. Policy Content While the majority of Maryland district policies are publicly available, many were challenging to Maryland policies vary significantly in content locate. Several districts posted different and level of protection against meal shaming. versions of their policies in multiple locations, While measures to protect and provide for

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 8 students who cannot pay for their meals can have consequences of meal debt. Many Maryland unintended negative impacts on school finances, policies guarantee some level of protection for policies that do not provide these protections students; however, many harmful practices also often result in students shouldering the can be found among Maryland school districts.

Number of Maryland Districts that Include Measures that May Lead to Stigma in their School Meal Charge Policies

serve alternative meals to explicitly allow the identification students after a predetermined of students with pink slips, 14 charging limit has been reached; 3 stickers, or notes from the cashier;

allow communication about punish student by restricting account balances, debt, and participation in extracurricular repayment to be directed at 9 3 activities or barring access to student students instead of only at parents or in the household; records and report cards; and

treat students differently based on age (i.e., allowing elementary use debt collection agencies to 8 school students to charge meals 2 recover unpaid meal debt. but not high school students.);

Although these harmful practices can be found to prevent school meal debt from accumulating among a significant number of the policies in and eliminate stigma in the cafeteria. Maryland, many school districts have taken steps

Number of Maryland Districts that Include Measures for Preventing Debt and Reducing Stigma in their School Meal Charge Policies

allow all students to charge up to a notify parents or households of set amount of reimbursable meals low balances before debt 15 in the event that they do not have 7 accumulates; funds to purchase a meal;

encourage families to prevent include assurances that students current and future meal charges without money to pay for their 10 by applying for free or reduced- 3 meals will be treated with dignity price meals; and compassion; and

work with households and take include plans for providing their into account individual meal charge policy to school staff. 8 circumstance during the meal 2 charge repayment process;

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 9 School Meal Debt Policy Best Practices

Establishing and implementing a policy that this eliminate meal debt, it will increase access effectively and fairly responds to situations to healthy meals and increase participation, where students do not have enough money to which will bring additional federal pay for their school meal can be a challenge for reimbursement dollars into schools. school districts, but it’s important to adopt. Measures put in place to protect students do Community Eligibility Provision: This result in accumulation of school meal debt that provision allows high-poverty schools, school systems must then attempt to collect. districts, or a group of schools within a Under federal law, any school meal debt that district to offer meals at no charge to all cannot be recovered from families must be students. Those with 40 percent or more written off as bad debt, and the school district “identified students” — students must cover this cost with nonfederal funds, automatically eligible for free school meals meaning that they must find these funds from who are identified as such by means other outside of the school meals programs. This than an individual household application, money is often taken out of the school district’s such as by direct certification based on their general fund. Occasionally, schools have relied SNAP eligibility — are able to offer free on crowdfunding or private donations to cover breakfast and lunch to all students. Under the cost of bad debt from unpaid meal fees. CEP, schools do not have to collect or While well intentioned, these short-term process school meal applications, or track solutions are not sustainable and rely on meals served based on payment category. 1

isolated cases of charity to protect students and

support school meal programs. Instead, school Provision 2: This provision allows schools to districts should focus on creating effective serve only breakfast, only lunch, or both policies that prioritize feeding children and breakfast and lunch, to all students at no include best practices for preventing school charge. Schools using Provision 2 collect meal debt. school meal applications and count and

Policy Recommendations for Preventing School Meal claim meals by fee category during year one of a four-year cycle, called the “base year.” Debt Participation in the first year determines the

percentage of meals that will be reimbursed Offer School Meals at No Cost to All Students: at the free, reduced-price, or paid rate for

the remaining three years in the cycle. Offering school meals at no cost to all students removes the opportunity for school meal debt to accumulate. There are several methods for Nonpricing: No fees are collected from schools with significant numbers of low-income students; however, the school does not students to offer meals at no cost. Not only will receive any additional federal funds aside 2 from the standard reimbursement.

1 “Identified student” populations include children in households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), as well as youth in foster care, migrant, homeless, or runaway youth, and Head Start participants. 2 School Lunch Equity requires that school district set paid school lunch fees comparable to the federal free reimbursement rate. Districts that charge less (or do not charge) are required to cover those costs with non-federal funds. The Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations bill limited this requirement to school districts with a negative fund balance for the 2019-2020 school year.

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 10 Maryland Meals for Achievement: This program School Districts Using the Community provides state funding to supplement federal Eligibility Provision (CEP) and meal reimbursements so that high poverty Maryland Meals for Achievement schools can offer breakfast in the classroom to (MMFA) to Provide School Meals at no all students at no charge. A school can apply Cost to all Students in the 2018–2019 when at least 40 percent of students qualify for school year free or reduced-price meals. CEP Certify Every Eligible Student for Free or Allegany (4 schools) Reduced-Price Meals: Baltimore City (district-wide) Baltimore County (4 schools) Families that are eligible for free or reduced-price Cecil (4 schools) meals often struggle to make ends meet. By taking Dorchester (district-wide) steps to certify all eligible students, schools can Frederick (3 schools) ensure that these children are able to access the Garrett (1 school) meals they need without the stress of accruing Howard (2 schools) school meal debt that neither their families nor Prince George's (11 schools) the school district can afford. There are several Somerset (district-wide) steps that schools can take to certify eligible Washington (11 schools) students more effectively: Wicomico (8 schools)

improve direct certification systems and data- MMFA sharing with other community programs or Allegany (10 schools) individuals, e.g., the school district's local Anne Arundel (47 schools) homeless liaison; Baltimore County (80 schools) ensure applications are accessible and Caroline (11 schools) available in multiple languages; Carroll (4 schools) conduct outreach throughout the year and Cecil (15 schools) encourage families to apply at any time of the Charles (14 schools) year, not just at the start of the school year; Dorchester (8 schools) carry over eligibility from the previous school Frederick (14 schools) year until a new determination can be made; Garrett (8 schools) and Harford (14 schools) accept certification from students transferring Howard (17 schools) in from other districts. Kent (4 schools) Montgomery (83 schools) Eliminate the Reduced-Price Copay Prince George's (84 schools) Queen Anne's (3 schools) School districts that determine it is not financially Somerset (5 schools) feasible to provide meals at no cost to all students St. Mary's (9 schools) can consider picking up the cost of the reduced- Talbot (5 schools) price copay for breakfast, lunch, or both meals. Washington (26 schools) The children who qualify for reduced-price meals Wicomico (14 schools) are often from families that are struggling Worcester (6 schools)

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 11 financially. By eliminating this copay, these lunch in 2023, all 51,000 students in Maryland students and their families are more likely to who are eligible for reduced-price meals will remain free from school meal debt. receive their school meals at no cost. While the state is only required to waive a portion of the The Maryland Cares for Kids Act of 2018 will reduced-price copay over the next four-year phase out the reduced-price copay for school phase out period, districts can and should breakfast and lunch in the state over the next consider using district funding to waive the full four years. Once the reduced-price copay is copay to ensure these students remain free eliminated for both school breakfast and school from debt during this transition.

Best Practices Found In Maryland School District Policies

Certify Every Eligible Student for Free or Reduced-Price Meals:

"In certain circumstances an administrator can complete a FARM application on behalf of the child based on household size and income information or Other Source Categorical Eligibility status knownto the administrator. The FNS will notify the household that their child has been certified to receive free or reduced price benefits. The source of information used by the administrator must be 1 noted on the application.” (Frederick County)

"Families may apply for free/reduced meals anytime during the year. Applications shall be sent to all students st the beginning of the school year. In addition, applications shall be avaliable at the 2 Central office, all school offices, the cafeteria during meal service, and online." (Worcester County)

Policy Recommendations for Eliminating Shame families’ inability to pay for their school meal Punitive actions that should be prohibited Practices that shame or stigmatize can have a include requiring the student to perform chores lasting impact on a student’s mental health and to pay off debt, preventing students with debt well-being. In order to avoid any emotional and from participating in school-sponsored mental distress to the student, the following extracurricular activities or social events, and practices should be included in school meal barring students from graduating or accessing charge policies: report cards, diplomas, or their academic records. Prohibit punishments:

Students should not be punished for their

1 Frederick County Public Schools Food & Nutrition Services (FNS), Standard Operating Procedures, "Unpaid Meals (Charging)," Accessed June 24, 2019. 2 Worcester County Public Schools, "Unpaid School Meal Charges Policy," Accessed June 24, 2019.

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 12 Eliminate stigmatizing practices: Meal Charging:

Shame occurs when students are overtly To avoid hunger during the day, schools should identified for not being able to pay for their consider allowing students to charge meals school meal. Schools should avoid actions that regardless of their grade level or ability to pay. cause unnecessary distress for students, including taking the meal away after it was Alternative Meal Standards:

served, identifying students’ inability to pay in Districts that choose to provide lower-cost front of their peers, marking or stamping alternatives to students who cannot pay should children, or requiring that children be served a ensure these meals still meet federal nutrition different meal or eat in a separate location. guidelines. These meals should be an option for

all students to select in the cafeteria line.

Best Practices Found In Maryland School District Policies

Eliminating stigma

"PGCPS intends to treat all students with dignity and respect and prevent any embarrassment in the lunch line due to lack of funds in a student’s meal account while promoting parental responsibility

1 for meal payment." (Prince George's County)

“All students will be treated with dignity and confidentiality in the serving line regarding meal accounts…No student will be denied a meal because of financial circumstances beyond a student's

2 control. Meals will not be taken away from a student once it is served.” (Howard County)

Meal Charging

“Every student is served a meal, regardless of eligibility status or charges on account. Alternate meals are not to be served to students. Food and Nutrition Services’ (FNS) goal is to provide students the nutrition they need, minimize the identification of students with insufficient funds, and

3 maintain financial integrity of the enterprise fund." (Washington County)

Alternative meal standards

“Students who have unpaid meal charges after the grace period, will thereafter, be offered an 4 alternative meal that meets the USDA guidelines." (Wicomico County)

1 Prince George's County Public Schools, "Parental Notification for Students without Funds for School Meals," Accessed June 24, 2019. 2 Howard County Public School System, "Policy 4200 Implementation Procedures- Meal Charges," Accessed June 24, 2019. 3 Washington County Public Schools, 2019-2020 Handbook & Guide, "Charge Regulations," Accessed October 7, 2019. 4 Wicomico County Board of Education, "Unpaid School Meal Charges Policy," Accessed June 24, 2019.

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 13 Policy Recommendations for Responding to Debt sign that a family may be struggling financially. If the student cannot be directly certified and is The best approach to addressing unpaid school found to not be eligible for free or reduced-price meal fees is to establish and enforce the meals, schools have the responsibility to preventive measures outlined in the previous contact, immediately, any family with a negative sections of this report. By ensuring that these account balance. All communication about best practices are in place, schools can help school meal debt should be directed to a parent guarantee that remain shame- and or guardian, not the student. stigma-free for students while also helping families to remain free of school meal debt. In In addition, schools should work with the event that a student begins charging meals, households that cannot afford to pay off all schools have the responsibility to respond school meal debt at once to establish a payment quickly and compassionately to avoid accruing plan. No collection methods should be used further debt and creating or fostering stigma. that require families to pay additional fees or interest in excess of the cost of the meals In response to meal charges, schools should served, because doing so places an additional begin by making attempts to determine and unnecessary burden on families who are whether a student is eligible for free or reduced- already struggling financially. price school meals because this is often the first

Best Practices Found In Maryland School District Policies

Schools should contact parents or guardians immediately of any negative balance and work to determine if the student is eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

“Parents will be notified via US Mail, telephone, secured electronic notice, or unmarked sealed envelope sent home with the student. This notification will also include information on how to apply 1 for free or reduced meals." (Worcester County)

Communication about school meal debt should be directed at the student’s parent or guardian and not involve the student.

“Food and Nutrition Services will send out low balance notices prior to students needing to charge meals. School system staff involved in the collection of delinquent debt for meals will ensure that their efforts do not have a negative impact on the student involved, and will instead focus primarily 2 on adults in the household responsible for providing funds for meal purchases.” (Howard County)

"Staff must not overtly inform students of their low balance. Instead they need to make note of the 3 student that needs a note home." (Caroline County)

1 Worcester County Public Schools, "Unpaid School Meal Charges Policy," Accessed June 24, 2019. 2 Howard County Public School System, "Policy 4200 Implementation Procedures- Meal Charges," Accessed June 24, 2019. 3 Caroline County Public Schools Department of Food and Nutrition Services, Standard Operating Procedure, "Meal Charges," Accessed June 24, 2019.

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 14 Conclusion

As education stakeholders in Maryland continue challenges of school meal debt and the to make efforts to improve the state's education associated stigma will continue to be stumbling system, it is crucial to include conversations blocks to children, families, and school about access to school meals that provide nutrition departments across the state. By students with the nutrition they need to thrive establishing effective and compassionate in an academic environment. School meals are policies, Maryland schools can foster a a key component to the success of Maryland’s supportive school environment for all students students both in and out of the classroom. to learn and grow without shame. Without strong policies in place, the

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 15 Appendix Methods for Communicating School Meal Charge Policy by School District, School Year 2018–2019 Policy is included in Policy is Policy can be School distributed to an alternative School District found on school location (e.g., district has a households district's written policy annually student handbook, website school board manual)

Allegeny County Anne Arundel County Baltimore City* NA NA NA NA

Baltimore County

Calvert County

Caroline County

Carroll County

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County* NA NA NA NA Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

Howard County

Kent County

Montgomery County Prince George's County

Queen Anne's County

Somerset County* NA NA NA NA St. Mary's County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

*Baltimore City, Dorchester County, and Somerset County are not required to have meal charge policies because these districts use CEP to provide meals at no charge to all students. **Food and Nutrition Services

School Meal Charge Policies in Maryland | Maryland Hunger Solutions Page 16 Technical Notes In alignment with USDA guidelines, this report This report reflects the communication methods does not recognize online communications, the and content of written meal charge policies for presence of a URL link, or materials with a Maryland school systems at the school district reference to a policy without the inclusion of level. This report does not evaluate compliance policy content, as a method for clearly or lack of compliance with these policies or communicating policies to households. School actual practices of individual schools or school districts were considered to be in compliance personnel. with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)

requirement to communicate the policy to School meal charge policies from individual households once per year if it was included in school districts were collected between April other materials distributed in writing, including and August 2019, through online searches, email welcome packets, student or parent handbooks, requests, and direct communication with food existing notifications for free and reduced-price and nutrition service department personnel. meals, and school menus. School districts in Policy content and location changes made after which individual schools chose to distribute August 31, 2019, are not reflected in this report. written policies, but where it is not made a The policy communication methods included districtwide requirement, are not considered to may not reflect every location where policies be in compliance. can be found.

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