FAQ

Meal Pricing and Meal Definitions
Are school meals healthy?   Great question! Yes, Battle Ground Public School menus offer the recommended daily allowance of nutrients by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Guidelines. Breakfast contributes ¼ of the USDA’s daily nutrient requirements and Lunch contributes 1/3. In addition, Battle Ground Public School menus are analyzed by computer software to ensure that certain nutrient levels are met.  You can access Menus and Nutrition Analysis information by selecting the Menus and Nutrition link under Nutrition Services.

How do I open a lunch account for my student?   When you enroll your student in school they are automatically issued a Nutrition Services meal account. They are assigned a 5 digit pin number which they will type into a key pad if they choose to buy a meal or a drink.

How do I deposit money into their Nutrition Services meal account?  The Family Access system allows parents to deposit money on their students' account using Debit or Credit cards.  You will need a Family access login and password which can be set up at your student's school.  Please remember to bring identification.  If you prefer to use either cash or a check, please send in an envelope with your student and include the student’s full name written in the memo section of the check to school with them. They can either take it to the office (where it will be put in the Nutrition Services mailbox), their teacher or drop it off in the kitchen at the beginning of the day with the Nutrition Services staff. Payment may be for one day, one week, or several weeks at a time. The entire amount of the check must be deposited into the student’s account (no change back can be given).

Do you accept credit cards?   Yes!  Nutrition Services account deposits can be made via the Family Access system found via the main school district webpage at www.battlegroundps.org -> Parents & Community -> Family Access. Please take your identification to your student's school if you do not currently have a login and password and they will create your account.  Family Access also allows you to view your students' meal account activity at any time.

If I send in cash with my student can he/she get change?   A minimum of change is kept at each school. At the Primary level, unless a note is given, change will not be giving to students depositing money on their account by cafeteria staff. At the Secondary level, customer’s must tell cashier before transaction that they would like change. Change cannot be given on checks, or once money has been deposited on the customer’s account.

What if I forget to send lunch money to school?    If the student has a negative balance and is within the negative  $12.00 charge limit in Elementary or Middle School they will receive a full reimbursable lunch meal. If the purchase will take the student’s balance beyond the negative $12.00 charge limit, the Student will receive a cheese sandwich for the entree, milk and access to fruit and vegetables until their balance is no longer negative.  High School and Adult charges are not allowed at this time. Meals must be paid for at the time of service. It is the parent or guardian’s responsibility to ensure their child has money in his/her account or brings a meal from home. Students will be notified when their meal account is low by stamping their hands, sending home a low or negative reminder sheet, e-mail or mailed balance statements sent to parents, and via automated phone calls. No charges are allowed for breakfast or ala carte purchases. Balances (positive and negative) will stay on the students account from year to year and from school to school.

How much do meals cost? Please select the Menus and Nutrition Link under Nutrition Services.

Why do adult meals cost more than student meals? The reason the meal price for basically the same meal differs between students and adults is that the USDA partially funds student meals but they do not fund any portion of adult meals. The funding the district receives for student meals varies according to the student's eligibility status (Free, Reduced, or Paid). The average funding per meal that the district is receiving from the USDA for student meals this year is approximately $1.75 and the average cash collected per meal is $1.00 for a total of $2.75, which is less than the actual cost of an average hot lunch meal.  The price charged for adult meals ($3.35) covers the entire cost of the meal including food, labor, & distribution costs.

What is considered a breakfast meal, a Lunch meal and what is considered Ala Carte?  A complete breakfast or lunch meal consists of an entree, side dishes and milk.  A student must select the entree’ and one other item (for a total of 2 of the 4 choices) for the meal to be considered a meal. If the student chooses less than 2 items, it is considered ala carte and will be charged at Ala Carte prices.  The reason for this requirement by the USDA is to encourage students to select a balanced and nutritious meal.

Can my student buy extra food (Ala Carte)?     Elementary students may buy with their meal accounts; breakfast, lunch, milk and juice. An Extra Entree’ for Breakfast or Lunch is also available. Secondary students may use their meal account to buy any food/snack items available to them. If you do not wish for them to use their meal account in this manner please contact your School kitchen and ask to speak with the Contact Person to add a restriction to  your child’s ability to purchase Ala Carte items.  The Kitchen contact information can be found by selecting the Contact Us link under Nutrition Services.

Allergy and Food Substitutions
My student has a life threatening food allergy / non-life threatening food allergy / physical disability; is there any way Food & Nutrition Services can help?  Substitution and/or accommodations can be made for students with LIfe Threatening allergies and/or Life Threatening physical disabilities. A Diet Prescription form or medical statement must be submitted to the Food Service office to allow the substitution. It must include: ­ An identification of the medical or other special dietary condition which restricts the child’s diet. ­ The food or foods to be omitted from the child’s diet ­ The food or choice of foods to be substituted. The Diet Prescription form or medical statement must be signed by your physician or recognized medical authority No substitutions can be made to our menus without either the Diet Prescription form or medical statement on file. No substitutions are allowed for non-life threatening reasons. Those students may take advantage of the other offerings that day and make their own substitutions. The Special Dietary Needs Request for Students with Disabilities can be found here. The Special Dietary Needs Request for Students without Disabilities can be found here.  For a list of possible Allergy causing items please click here.
Can we request food substitutions for religious and/or personal reasons?  USDA regulations specify that all food substitutions must be prescribed by your physician or medical authority for a Life Threatening medical reason, which are further explained above.

Meal Account and Refund Information
How do I check what my student is buying with their meal account?        When you sign up for Family Access, your child’s meal purchases can be reviewed. Our Kitchen staff who will be happy to help you as well.  To contact your schools’ kitchen, please click on the Contact Us link under Nutrition Services.

If my child changes schools, does their money go with them?     Yes, if they change schools within Battle Ground Public Schools their money and free/reduced status will follow them there.

We are leaving the Battle Ground  Public Schools. How do I have the money in my students meal account refunded to me?  If you would like to request a refund for your Battle Ground Public School student’s meal account, please print, fill out and mail the Request for Refund Form to our office which can be found by clicking here.  Please allow 6-8 weeks for the check to be mailed to you. If you have questions, you can access NSO contact information here.

Will my student’s pin number always be the same?   Yes! Now that we have moved to the Family Access system, your student’s pin number will stay the same within Battle Ground Public Schools unless they withdraw and come back. Otherwise, your student will have the same 5 digit PIN number from Kindergarten to graduation.

My student is going on a field trip; can he/she get a sack lunch?  Yes, sack lunches are available to all students for when they go on field trips. “Sack Lunch Forms” are available online here, in your school office and in the Nutrition Services kitchen at your school.  They must be filled out, signed and returned to the Nutrition Services kitchen at your school 5 school lunch days before the field trip. ­ Students may use their lunch account (free, reduced price or paid) or send cash for the sack lunch

Applying for Free and Reduced Meal Status
How do I apply for Free/ Reduced lunches?    The Battle Ground Public Schools participate in the National School Breakfast & Lunch Program. You may apply for Free / Reduced meals at any time during the school year. Applications are available online, in your school office, the Nutrition Services office, and online by selecting the Menu item “Free and Reduced” at the top left of this page. Students will also have an application mailed home to them prior to the new school year. Fill out the application as completely as possible (one application per household) including: All students' full names w/schools they attend, names of all members of the household with their incomes,signature of an adult household member , Social Security Number of signer (If your student receives Basic Food or TANF you must include the case number on the application (no SSN# is needed). ~If your student is a foster child please submit an application with only his / her name in the foster child section. No other children may be on their application. Have your student drop it off in your school kitchen with the Food Service staff. We have 10 business days to process the application (it usually takes 24-48 hours). You are responsible for all charges until your application is approved.

A letter will be mailed home to notify you of the application results. If you do not receive a letter within 10 days of submitting the application please contact the Food Service office. If you were approved for Temporary Free meals, you have 6 weeks to contact the Food Service office and/or submit a new application with income information. Once you have been approved, in order to receive the free/reduced rate, your student must choose a complete meal. Your child must select at least 2 food items for breakfast and at least 3 items for lunch. Anything else will be considered Ala Carte and your student will be charged accordingly.

A new application must be submitted each year (It cannot be submitted on last years form). Your child’s status from the prior year will roll over to the next school year for the first 30 school days. After that a new application must be on file. All charges accrued between when the old one expires and the new one is approved are the parent and/or guardians responsibility to pay back.  For more information, please click on the Free and Reduced page.

Health and Well-Being
What are the latest Health Inspection scores for district schools?  Please click here to view the scores.