Highlights of lunch balance deficit to be re-registered for free and reduced meals – Newton Daily News

Despite donations made by community members to reduce overdue lunch balances, the Newton Community School District is reporting a $9,200 deficit just six weeks into the new school year. Julie Miller, food service supervisor, attributes some of that to families needing to re-register for free and reduced meals.

Free and reduced meal applications can be filled out anytime online by visiting: www.newtoncsd.org/district/departments/food-service/free-reduced-applications. Paper copies are also available in the EJH Beard Administration Center and in all school buildings. Applications can be submitted electronically to Infinite Campus.

Physical copies can be mailed to Newton High School, 800 E. Fourth St. S., Newton, Iowa, 50208 ATTN: Julie Miller. They can also be left at the administrative center between 7:30 and 16:30 from Monday to Friday or at any of the secretaries in the building.

In a food service update to school board members on Oct. 14, Miller praised Cardinal Rick Vernon’s generosity and his challenge to community members to pay the district’s lunch balance fund before start school At the time, the district posted a deficit of more than $21,000.

It was paid in full in less than a week. However, Miller let board members know that the district has returned to its negative balance. Miller said she is working hard to reach out to parents regularly, mostly via direct message on ParentSquare, to get the balance back to zero.

School board member Travis Padget shared his concerns about the deficit, especially since it was so early in the school year. Miller said it’s not uncommon to see that amount of deficit early on. He claimed the district also had a similar deficit early last year.

“Is it a problem that it’s the beginning of the school year and people aren’t signing up for free and at a reduced rate?” asked Padgett.

“That’s a big part of it,” Miller said, noting there could be another factor at play. “…I think when people come out with these big donations, which is really amazing and I really appreciate the support, it tells people, ‘Oh! Well, I don’t need to pay my bill because someone else will pay it for me.”

But many people don’t know that their free and reduced applications that were approved last year have already expired. If a new application hasn’t been filled out this year, students stay free and reduced for the first 30 days and then it’s taken away, Miller said. Miller said families were notified that this would happen.

“I don’t know if they’ve forgotten or don’t think they qualify or don’t want to fill out an application,” Miller said. “So some of these charges are due to students who were free but are no longer free. So I’m trying to get those people together and see if I can get them to reapply.”