Newton schools reports almost $20K deficit in overdue meal balances

Jan. 12—Newton Community School District has almost $20,000 in overdue meal charges and that deficit only continues to climb, food service supervisor Julie Miller said.

During the food service update at the Jan. 8 school board meeting, Miller said folks are not paying for their children's meals, and the district has identified 28 families with negative balances greater than $200. Employees of the Newton school district are also contributing more than $1,000 to the deficit, Miller said.

"We really need folks to pay their bills," she said. "I know we just finished the holidays and so it makes finances extra tight right now. We're sending out balance notifications all the time by email, text messages and snail mail. And we've also started calling families to request payment."

The school district, she added, will likely have to increase meal prices for the 2024-2025 school year, citing inflation and the high costs of food. Miller said it seems like prices go up every time she orders food; Newton is just going to have "to do what it can to be as fiscally responsible as possible."

For a bit of what Miller considered good news, lawmakers at the Iowa Legislature may discuss removing the reduced lunch students so they would not have to pay any further and would be placed in the same category as free for next school year. Miller hoped to know more about that in the next few weeks.

School board member Donna Cook asked if the state's refusal to participate in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children program in 2024 — which provides additional food assistance for children in the summer — would have any effect on Newton schools. Miller said it would not.

"It doesn't impact us," Miller said. "We do get lots and lots and lots of phone calls about EBT, so it affects a lot of families in our district. I was really disheartened to see they are not going to use that program to benefit families over the summer. I hope that people are aware of that."

However, this program is different from the summer lunch program organized by the Newton Community School District. Miller said that program is still in place.

"We will be providing summer meals probably at two locations," she said in response to an inquiry from school board member Travis Padget. "Once I know for sure where summer school will be held, then I will work with the principals and we will get a plan together and we'll make that happen."

School board member Kristi Meyer asked how staff accounts get negative and if the district allows employees to buy lunches without paying for them.

"As I understand, kids can do that," Meyer said. "...We're not going to make them not get a lunch. We do the same for staff?"

Miller said, "Yes. Staff can charge meals to their account up to $50. Then they get deactivated ... It's probably a half a dozen staff members or more whose accounts have been deactivated because they have not paid their balance. A lot of staff members that have negative balances also have students in the district."

Which means their accounts are lumped together into one account. But if a staff member with a child in the district reaches a $50 deficit in their account, the account does not get deactivated and still allows their children to eat their meals. Miller said she lets staff members know when their deficit is $50 or more.

On the school district's website, there is a page that allows patrons to make donations toward the food service fund. The fund was created to assist students who cannot pay for a school lunch or breakfast due to extenuating circumstances beyond their control. Many families are struggling, the page states.

All funds received go directly to the lunch fund to feed students who are unable to pay for their meals.

The page can be found at www.newton.revtrak.net/Food-Service-Donations/

Newton also has free and reduced lunch for students, allowing them to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch every day.