Food Service

Online Application for Free and Reduced Lunch 

As a convenience to our families, applications for Free or Reduced Lunch can be submitted through the Meal Magic Family Portal.

Log into your account*

Select the benefit icon

Fill out an application.

The application is located in the Family Portal. Please apply here. 

1. *Create an account using your email
2. Follow the steps once you receive your confirmation email
3. Once logged into your account click 'Benefits'
4. Review information on the next two pages and click next
5. Add from the drop-down benefits type if applicable and click next
6. Add all children living in your home to your account - once done click next
7. Add all adults living in your home - once done click next
8. Click on the parent to add household income
9. Follow the next steps for demographic information
10. Review to make sure all information is accurate
11. Sign the application and click finish

Completing an application takes less than 10 minutes and you only need to complete one application per family.  Applications are completely confidential and will not be shared outside of the school food service office.  Since your family’s financial situation may change from year to year, you must fill out a new application each school year.

*If you do not have an account, then you can complete an application as a guest. Log on to the website, and click Apply for Benefits. 

COLLECTIONS OF PAYMENT FOR SCHOOL MEALS 

The purpose of this document is to establish consistent meal account procedures throughout the district. 

1) Free breakfast and Lunch students: 

a) Michigan School Meals allows a student to receive a free breakfast meal and a free lunch meal every day. Ala Carte items are not part of the USDA program. Students may purchase a la carte items with funds in their account or with cash. 

2)  Balances Owed: Collection of Balances owed will follow Board Policy 8500 on Food Service Operations. 

● Balances may be checked at any time by logging into the Family Portal /Meal Magic system https://pewamo.familyportal.cloud/   or by emailing the Food Service Director jessica.anthony@pwschools.org. All accounts must be settled at the end of the school year. 

● When the student reaches a low balance, a notification will be sent to parents/guardians. 

● Notices of deficit balances will be sent to parents/guardians weekly via email. 

● If payment is not made, the Food Service Director will contact parents/guardians regarding the balance. 

● If following contact with the parents/guardians payment is not made, the cashier will inform students at the secondary level that their account is negative as long other  

students are not within hearing distance. The cashier will not prevent the student from  having the reimbursable meal if their account balance is negative. 

● If the student reaches a negative balance, they may receive a regular menu meal.  

● Students may not purchase ala carte items if their account balance is negative. 

(a) Checks Returned for Nonsufficient Funds (NSF): When a check is returned to the Business Office for “NSF”, a call will be made to the parents. If payment is not made, a letter will be sent to inform the parent(s). Payment for the NSF check must be received within ten (10) days  of the date of the letter. Any penalty fee will be made payable to Pewamo Westphalia Community  Schools and sent to the Business Office. The penalty fee and the amount of the check will be  deducted from the child/children’s lunch account immediately upon notice from the bank and  the above mentioned rules will take effect. 

3) Unpaid Meal Charges: All Charges not paid by December 30 will be considered bad debt. Bad debt will be paid to the food service account from the district's general fund. Before a deposit is made to the student's account the bad debt must be paid back to the general fund.

4) Point of Sale:

 All School cafeterias possess computerized point of sale/cash register systems that maintain a record of all monies deposited and spent for each student and said record will be made available to the parent upon request. A parent may also view a student's account activity via the Family Portal/Meal magic   https://pewamo.familyportal.cloud/  and make payments to your child’s school. The Food Service Department shall inform parents that extra meal and a la carte items can be paid for in advance and the balances maintained in their child’s account to minimize the possibility that the child's account will be in debt. If a student is without funds on a consistent basis, the Food Service Director will investigate the situation more closely, including  contacting the parent/guardian. 

a) Blocks on Accounts: A parent may call the Food Service Director to place a block on their child’s account to prohibit the purchase of a la carte items. They can also do this via the family portal   https://pewamo.familyportal.cloud/ 

b) Refunds: 

1) Withdrawn Students: For any student who is withdrawn, a written request for a refund of any money remaining in their account must be submitted. An email request is also acceptable. 

2) Graduation Students: Students who are graduating at the end of the year funds will be automatically transferred to the oldest sibling’s account. All other graduates may be given a refund. Any refund will be processed through the Business office .

c) Unclaimed Funds: All refunds must be requested within one year. Unclaimed funds will then become the property of Pewamo Westphalia Community Schools Schools Nutrition  Program and used to cover negative balances of other students. 

5) Negative Balances: For students with a negative balance in their meal account, the District will ensure that the students continue to receive a reimbursable meal each day.

a) The following actions are prohibited: 

1. Requiring students who cannot pay for a school meal or who owe a negative balance to wear a wristband or hand stamp or any other identifying item. 

2. Requiring students who cannot pay for a school meal or who owe a negative balance to perform chores or other work to pay for school meals. 

3. Requiring students to dispose of a meal after it has been served because the student is unable to pay for the meal or has a negative balance. 

4. Discussing a negative balance with a student unless the district has unsuccessfully attempted to contact the student’s parent or legal guardian first through telephone, mail and electronic mail. 

 5. Discussing a negative balance with a student in the presence of other students.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

Fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

Email:
program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.