Athlos Leadership Academy

School Meals

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SCHOOL MEALS
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ALA provides a healthy breakfast and lunch each school day.
 
We participate in the School Breakfast Program (SBP). Students will have the opportunity to pick up a grab and go breakfast from the cafeteria between 7:25 and 7:45 AM to bring back to their classroom to eat.
 
We participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Students will eat lunch in the cafeteria with their grade level at their assigned lunch time.
 
We also have a daily snack time where all students are welcome to bring in a healthy snack to eat at their designated snack time.
 
All students have a meal account and are assigned a pin number to use when they go through the cafeteria line to purchase meals.  Milk and second slices of pizza are served on a pre-paid basis, and parents/guardians may purchase any number of these in advance at Athlos Leadership Academy’s office through the Student Accounts Coordinator (cash) or by putting funds in the student’s meal account through their Campus Parent Portal. Personal checks will not be accepted.

There is no fee to pay online through the Campus Parent Portal. When you make a payment, a confirmation email will be sent to you as a receipt or you may print out a receipt. Parents can elect to receive an email alert when meal balances fall below a specific level that they determine. Parents can also elect to set up their Campus Payments account so that any time a student account is below a specified balance, the parent’s credit/debit card can be automatically charged to ensure that there is always money in your student’s meal account. Parents can see all transactions made against their student’s account so that parents can monitor their child’s meal purchases. 

*Instructions on how to add money to your lunch account in parent portal can be found below.
 
 
SUMMER EATS MINNESOTA
When school isn’t in session during the summer, kids 18 and under can receive free meals at locations that include park and recreation sites, community centers, libraries and schools. No registration is required.
 
Our Free Meals for Kids mobile app will help you locate meal sites and features other resources.
The app shows distance and directions to the nearest site for free meals at hundreds of Minnesota locations during summer school closures, as well as on weekends and during school breaks.
Developed with the Minnesota Department of Education, the app provides each site’s menu and hours.
 
 
Meal Costs
The cost for reduced, paid lunch, and milk is as follows:
            
            Free/Reduced Lunch          Single Meal -- Free
            Free/Reduced Breakfast     Single Meal -- Free
            Paid Lunch                         Single Meal -- $3.50
            Paid Breakfast                    Single Meal -- $2.50
            Milk Only                            Single Milk -- $.50
            Extra Slice of Pizza             Pizza day only -- TBD
 
 
Free or Reduced Meals

School Food Authorities (SFAs) will be returning to operating the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in SY 2022-23. Families will need to fill out a Household Application for Education benefits to qualify for free or reduced-price meals or pay full price for student meals in SY 2022-23.

 

Athlos families are encouraged to complete the Meal Benefit Application through their Campus Parent Portal account. For families that are new to Athlos Leadership Academy or that have never accessed their account, instructions and account activation codes will be emailed in the coming weeks.

CLICK HERE TO LOGIN TO YOUR PARENT PORTAL TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION.

*Instructions on how to complete the application in the portal can be found below. 

 
 
 
Your child may qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. All Athlos Leadership Academy families are encouraged to apply.  State funds help to pay for reduced-price school meals, so all students who are approved for either free or reduced-price school meals will receive school meals at no charge. 
 
If you would like to apply for free or reduced-price school meals, please complete an Application for Educational Benefits following the instructions. The application and accompanying letter can be found below or by stopping by the front desk at ALA. Eligibility does not carry over from the previous school year. Anyone wishing to apply for the current school year MUST submit a new application. Keep in mind that if you apply and it is determined that you don’t qualify now, you may apply again at any time during the school year.  Your application also helps our school qualify for education funds and discounts.
 
Applications can be faxed, emailed, mailed or dropped off at the school during business hours. To ensure timely receipt and processing, mail and emails containing Applications for Educational Benefits should be addressed to Athlos Leadership Academy School Nutrition, [email protected]. In order to return the applications via email, they must be signed and scanned in. Applications must be completely filled out and signed in order to be processed.
 
Please note that if the application is not submitted for processing prior to your student’s start date, your family will begin incurring meal charges regardless of lunch program status. If you qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, the benefit will ONLY start once we receive your application. The benefit cannot be backdated.  You will be responsible for any charges accrued before we receive your application. Therefore, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible. Until an eligibility determination is made, and a letter is sent to the parent/guardians, the student is required to pay the full price of any meal.  If you have any questions or need help filling out the application please feel free to call or stop by the school. We are happy to assist you in filling out the paperwork.
 

 

Food Supply Chain Disruptions and National School Lunch Program

Nationwide there is disruption in the food supply chain that is affecting all aspects of food service including but not limited to the school segment. This disruption is a fallout from the current global pandemic. This disruption is a direct result of one or more of the following contributing factors:

 

  •      Lack of availability of raw ingredients to produce the products
  •      Labor – there is simply not enough active workforce to produce the food products and to unload incoming raw and finished products.
  •      Transportation – There are insufficient numbers of drivers to haul the food throughout our nation.

 

These factors will have an impact on the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs in our district and across America. Our School Nutrition department will be working closely with our food distributor to source healthy menu options that meet the federal guidelines for Child Nutrition Programs. However, all meals served at our district are subject to change based on availability, so we are asking you to keep this in mind when review the printed and on-line menus for the upcoming school year. 

 

Some links for points of reference

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/29/economy/truck-driver-shortage-pay-hikes/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/29/economy/global-worker-shortage-pandemic-brexit/index.html

https://www.wsj.com/articles/supply-chain-woes-come-to-school-cafeterias-11627205402

https://www.foodprocessing.com/industrynews/2021/schools-grapple-with-lunch-shortages/

https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2021/08/17/lee-county-school-lunches-impacted-by-supply-chain-issues/

 

 

Negative Balances

Please see the link below for Athlos Leadership Academy's Unpaid Meal Charge and Debt Collection Procedure. A PDF document of this procedure is also posted on this page.

ALA Unpaid Mail Charge and Debt Collection Procedure

 

 
Student Account Refunds
In the event that your student de-enrolls or graduates from Athlos Leadership Academy, student account refunds will be issued upon request.  To obtain a refund, a parent or legal guardian must complete and sign a Request for Refund or Transfer of Cafeteria Funds form and submit it to the Student Accounts Coordinator.  These forms are available in the school office or by clicking the link here.  
 
Food Allergies
School Food Authorities (SFAs) are required to make substitutions to meals for children with a disability that
restricts the child’s diet on a case-by-case basis and only when supported by a written statement from a state
licensed healthcare professional, such as a physician, who is authorized to write medical prescriptions under state law.

SFAs are not required to accommodate special dietary requests that do not constitute a disability, including
requests related to religious or moral convictions or personal preference.  In order to review your student’s needs and provide appropriate accommodations, a medical statement must be completed and submitted to the school by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant, or an advanced practice registered nurse, such as a certified nurse practitioner. 

If your child has a disability, please take the Medical Statement paperwork to your child’s physician. Paperwork
must be completed in full before submitting it to the school for review. You can also download the Medical Statement Paperwork below.
 
Birthday Treats and Special Occasions
In order to promote the safety of those with food allergies, all ALA families wishing to celebrate a student's birthday, personal achievement or other special occasion may only bring in non-food items to share with classrooms. (Pencils, stickers, etc.) Families and students may not bring food items to share with the class.  Please contact the classroom teacher at least 24 hours prior to the day you wish to bring the non-food treats so that the classroom teacher may plan the daily schedule accordingly for the celebration.
 
Balloons, signs, flowers, singing messages will not be allowed at Athlos Leadership Academy.  
The only food items allowed on campus by students and families are those items included in a student's lunch or morning snack.  
 

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

 

Mail

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

 

Fax (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442

 

Email [email protected]

 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.