CHANGES TO BLUESTEM LUNCH CHARGES PROCEDURE

DEAR PARENTS:

I would like to welcome everyone back to the new school term 2024-2025. I am sure everyone is ready to come back and get reunited with friends and teachers. I wanted to enlighten everyone that lunches are no longer free for everyone. We are going back to paid lunches unless qualified by an income based application or Direct Certification. Due to several reasons: state regulations, the economy, bad debts, etc., the district is no longer able to carry lunch charges during the school year. Our district is not the only district experiencing this difficulty. As I researched this problem, I learned most of our neighboring districts no longer incur lunch charges. I encourage you as parents to setup your WordWare to enable you to monitor your family account.

Students will no longer be allowed to charge school meals. This applies to all students attending Bluestem schools. This affects all students who purchase meals, ala carte items, or additional milks (sack lunches, etc). A student with a negative balance will be allowed to call a parent/guardian as a last chance effort before being refused a school hot meal. The state allows the School Nutrition Program to refuse to serve a student who has a zero or negative balance. We urge all families to set up their accounts in WordWare. Please call your child’s school office if you need further assistance in the setup of the program WordWare. WordWare will allow you to monitor from your phone or computer your family account for purchases, you can set up a payment plan or an automation payment, put limitations on your child’s spending, and set alerts for low balance notifications. PowerSchool no longer tracks your child’s meal account or maintains a current balance. Please monitor or set up a personal paying system for your child’s meal account. It is the parent/guardian responsibility to communicate with your child regarding their meal account or inquire at your child’s school office.

A reminder to all Bluestem families with an outstanding balance from last school year 2023/2024.

Your child will not be served a school meal on the first day of school until the existing balance has been paid in full. Currently several families have negative balances ranging- .45cents to $12.00, your child will not be allowed to charge. Please double check your child’s account balance to prevent any embarrassment for all involved.

Sincerely,

Alecia Burrows,
Authorized Food Service Representative

LUNCH LETTER