How to Order Breakfast/Lunch

Breakfast does not need to be pre-ordered.  If your student needs breakfast, they must go directly to the cafeteria when they get to school.

Monthly Lunch Ordering – Every student must pre-order lunch online for the following month.

• Families will receive an email about the 15^th of each month with the next month’s menu attached and a link to order. The ordering process must be completed by the deadline date each month, so we have an accurate count for our caterer.
  • By looking at the menu, choose which days your student would like to purchase one of the two meal options and order accordingly. Choices are: Main and Vegetarian
  • Repeat the ordering process for any additional Beacon students.
  • Make note on your calendar or on a printed school menu so that you remember what dates and what meals you ordered for your student.

Breakfast Price: $2.15 (includes milk)

Breakfast for Kindergarten students is free

Lunch Price: $3.20 (includes milk)

Breakfast Information

Breakfast is served every school day from 8:30-8:55 a.m. Students do not need to pre-order breakfast as we have plenty of items on hand. We offer a grab-n-go breakfast that they eat in the cafeteria. If your student comes by car, please drop them off by 8:35, so they have time to enjoy their breakfast in the cafeteria.

Students have a choice of a grain, a protein, a fruit and get a juice box and a milk. We offer a variety of cereals, muffins, waffles and bagels, as well as string cheese, yogurt, fruit and milk.

Breakfast Price: $2.15

Kindergarten students eat free!

Breakfast/Lunch Payments

Families are required to pre-pay for meals by depositing funds into their meal account. If there are multiple students from one family, they draw from the same family meal account.

• Payment Options
  • To pay by check, write your child’s name and the word “lunch” in the memo of your check. Drop the check off in the black box located just outside the front office labeled “Lunch Payments”.
  • To pay by cash, place cash in an envelope with the parent and child’s name on it and the amount you are enclosing. There are also envelopes to use at the black box outside the front office where you will deposit the cash.
  • To pay online with a credit card, go into ParentVue and go to Fees.

Please read the following:

Beacon Academy Charter School

Child Nutrition Program

Unpaid Meal Account Charges and Debt Collection Procedures

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this procedure is to establish consistent district practices for the provision of meals to students who have insufficient funds in their meal accounts and the collection of unpaid meal debt.

1. GENERAL STATEMENT OF PROCEDURES
2. Our goal at Beacon Academy is to provide nutritious meals to students, to promote healthy eating habits and enhance learning, as well as maintain the financial integrity of the National School Breakfast and Lunch programs and eliminate the stigmatization of children in the cafeteria who may be unable to pay for a meal.
3. Beacon Academy offers breakfast and lunch meals that meet state and federal guidelines to all students regardless of an unpaid meal account balance.
4. School meals are purchased through a prepaid meal system. Families are required to deposit funds into school meal accounts so that the students can purchase meals.
5. Students who qualify for “paid” meals (not free/reduced-eligible) may purchase meals when funds have been deposited into their family accounts either online or by cash or check payment to the school.
6. Our school ensures that nutritious meals are available to all students but insists that a student’s meal account must maintain a positive balance in order to avoid formal collection procedures.
7. Families may apply for free/reduced-price meal benefits anytime during the school year. Meal applications can be completed on-line at: www.LunchApplication.com . In addition, applications are available by calling the Food Service Coordinator at 763-546-9999, Ext. 1125 or request by email at cfox@nullbeaconacademy.com . If household income or size changes, families can reapply for meal benefits anytime during the school year.

 III. MEAL CHARGING PROCEDURES

1. The procedure at Beacon Academy for a student that has insufficient funds in their account to pay for breakfast and/or lunch meals: the student will still receive a meal, which will cause the account balance to become negative.
2. All students will be provided a meal regardless of meal account balance. We feel that this is in the best interest of the student.
3. A la carte items will only be available for purchase if the student’s meal account has sufficient funds.
4. A USDA approved breakfast and lunch will be available to all students. A meal will not be taken from a student, regardless of their negative account balance.
5. NOTIFICATION OF ACCOUNT STATUS
6. Beacon Academy uses various methods to notify families of negative meal account balances:
7. Families can check their student’s meal account balance and purchase activity by going online to: www.schoolpay.com where they can establish an account with their student’s PIN as the username.
8. Automated phone calls go out weekly to all families advising them of their students’ meal account balance(s) that are below $5.00 or have a negative balance.

iii. The Food Service Department will send a monthly email to families for their students’ account(s) that owe $25.00 or more.

1. The Food Service Department will encourage all parents to complete the free/reduced price meal application each school year and during the school year, if they continually go negative, to assist with meal accounts.
2. COLLECTION OF UNPAID MEAL DEBT

The Business Office at Beacon Academy will mail invoices to families with negative balances on a quarterly basis.

Special Dietary Lunches

We offer hot lunch for special dietary needs.  You must have a “Special/Diet Statement” signed by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner. Please contact Carol Fox, our Food Service Coordinator at cfox@nullbeaconacademy.com if you need information. 

We also offer lactose-free milk.  It is a special order, so you will have to contact Carol Fox so she can place a special order for this.

Beacon Academy provides breakfast and lunches that meet the MDE (Minnesota Department of Education) Nutrition requirements. See Lunch Ordering page for details on how to order your student’s lunches for the following month.

 

Beacon Academy participates in the SNF (School Nutrition Foundation) programs for free and reduced lunches. Families are encouraged to complete an application to see if they qualify. All information is kept confidential. Students who are approved for free/reduced meals and choose to bring a meal from home are not eligible for free milk on that day. Milk is only available at no charge if the student takes the meal provided by the school meal program. Currently, state funds allow those who are approved for either free or reduced school meals to receive school meals at no charge.  State funds also allow for all participating kindergarten students to receive breakfasts at no charge.