EF Food Services

The Board of Education shall comply with all federal and state statutes regarding food services at its public schools.  Albuquerque Public Schools administration shall maintain a school meal program to assure that students have access to good nutrition essential for learning.  Albuquerque Public Schools shall not deny a student food at any mealtime or engage in shaming of the student due to the students’ inability to pay for reimbursable meals served in an Albuquerque Public Schools cafeteria.

Albuquerque Public Schools shall allow charges up to $15.00 at the elementary, middle school and high school level to accommodate students who have forgotten their meal money or who are awaiting final approval of their application for federally subsidized meals. When the student account of charges reaches $15.00 in allowable charges, the school or district Food and Nutrition Services will follow approved procedural directive efforts to collect unpaid fees.

Parents/legal guardians who do not qualify for subsidized meals shall be responsible for providing either a meal or the money to pay for a meal for their student.  Parents/legal guardians who qualify for reduced meals shall be responsible for providing money to pay for their portion of the reduced meal.  Additional supports shall be provided to families struggling to pay for their child’s meal as outlined in administrative procedural directive.

Parents shall be responsible for meal charges up to ten (10) days from the time the application for free or reduced meals is received by Food and Nutrition Services.

Administrative Position: Chief Operations Officer

Department Director: Executive Director of Food and Nutrition Services

References:

Legal Cross Ref.: 

• USDA Policy for Free and/or Reduced Meal Applications
• §22-13C-8 NMSA
• §22-13-13 NMSA 1978
• §22-9-2 NMSA 1978

Procedural Directive Cross Ref.:

• Food and Nutrition Services
• National School Meal Programs

NSBA/NEPN Classification: EF

Approved: November 4, 1987
Reviewed: January 17, 1990
Revised: February 20, 1996
Reviewed: January 1, 2001
Reviewed: April 2001
Reviewed: September 23, 2008
Revised: October 1, 2008
Reviewed: October 28, 2008
Reviewed: January 9, 2009
Reviewed: January 16, 2009
Reviewed: January 26, 2009
Reviewed: August 14, 2013
Revised: August 21, 2013
Reviewed: September 13, 2017
Revised: September 20, 2017
Reviewed: September 6, 2022
Revised: September 7, 2022