Account Management and Collection of Delinquent Debt for School Meals

Oregon City School District provides meals to students through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the state of Oregon.  

School administrators manage school schedules and identify serving times for breakfast and lunch.  Households may be eligible to receive meals at no cost by applying for benefits through the Free and Reduced priced meal program.  

Charging and Access to Meals

Current Oregon laws specify that when a student requests a meal during meal service, they shall receive a meal regardless of the ability to pay for meals.  For clarification purposes, the cost of received meals and resulting balances owed are the responsibility of the parent / guardian.

The school district allows for the prepayment of meals directly to the school cafeteria, school office or online using MealTime.com. (Using MealTime will result in a small service charge.)

  • School office staff are able to receive cash or check payments for student meal accounts; these payments will be taken to the cafeteria for deposit into the applicable student’s account.  No change can be provided as offices do not have a cash box.  

  • The MealTime.com online account service, enables management of student accounts.  Features include transaction history, online payments, auto-payments, payment reminders, low balance warnings and more.  This tool is a voluntary option for families - a service charge will apply for online payment processing.

  • When paying by check, please make the check out to your student’s school.  Schools are unable to cash checks / give change back.

Handling of Delinquent Debt

When funds are not present in a student’s meal account to cover the cost of a meal that has been requested by the student and charged to their meal account, the monetary credit extended is considered delinquent debt.  Oregon City School District will pursue efforts to collect unpaid meal charges or delinquent debts.

  • An email notification stating the balance owed is sent to the parent / guardian every Monday during the school year.

    • The email is sent to the parent / guardian who is listed as the first parent / guardian in Synergy.  This information is taken from a student’s registration form.

  • When a primary parent / guardian’s email is not listed in Synergy, a paper notice is mailed to the parent / guardian every Monday.  

    • Paper notices for overdue meal charges continue to be sent during the summer months to the primary parent / guardian when an email is not on file. 

    • This notice includes information about applying for free / reduced meal benefits and requests payment for meals that the student has requested.

  • Payment for overdue meal charges can be made in full or in partial payments.  

    • Payments can be made online at MealTime.com, to your student’s school cafeteria, or to the school office.  

      • During the summer, payments can be made to the district office.

    • Payments made by check from a delinquent account will result in an overdraft fee and will be added to the student’s account.

  • When a student’s account balance is overdue by $25 or more, a designated district employee will make a courtesy phone call to the student’s parent / guardian.  

  • For questions on making payments, please contact jeff.ralston@orecity.k12.or.us

End of Year Student Account Balances

All student meal account balances (positive and negative) automatically roll over to the next school year.  

If a student(s) has funds remaining in their meal account and no longer attends Oregon City School District, the parent / guardian can:

Oregon House Bill 3454

OHB 3454 specifies that when a student requests a reimbursable meal during meal service time, they shall receive a meal regardless of the ability to pay for meals.  A reimbursable meal consists of at least three (3) components from the five (5) following food groups:  Meat/Meat Alternate, Grain, Vegetable, Fruit and Fluid Milk.  A student must take a minimum of three (3) components from the five (5) options, and one of the components must be at least half (½) cup of fruit or vegetable.  For clarification purposes, the cost or accrued negative balances for meals requested by a student are the responsibility of the parent / guardian.

  • Oregon City School District will not publicly identify a student who cannot pay for a meal because of a negative balance.

  • Students will not be allowed to charge for second meals or individual cartons of milk / juice.  All a la carte items must be paid for with available funds in a student’s cafeteria account.

  • Adults cannot charge meals or a la carte items.  All items must be paid for in cash, with a check, or with funds from the adult’s cafeteria meal account.

This Institution is an Equal Opportunity Provider

07.31.23