Every student in the district has a food service account. The West Bend School District uses a debit system which means money must be deposited before students can make purchases for school meals. All students will be issued a meal/ID card, elementary level students must keep their cards at school and Silverbrook, Badger, and high school students are responsible for their own cards.
Account Balances
Automated phone calls go out when the lunch fund balance is at or below $9.00. Families can view meal account detail, balances, and can set up email reminders in Skyward Family Access. Our cashiers may ask students to take an envelope home if their account is getting low or is in the negative.
All account balances will carry over to the next school year. Negative balances may be turned over to small claims court, as approved by the School Board Finance Committee.
Payments/Balances
All deposits are processed at the School Nutrition office which is located in the high schools building and are entered as they are received. Most meal accounts are family accounts. This means only one check or payment is needed per family.
Payments
With Add New, payment options include one-time automatic payments, low-lunch-fund balance replenishment, or setting up recurring payments. Access Add New two ways:
1) Make your payments online through the link on the West Bend School District website using the Families tab. Note: Your family number is your primary 10-digit phone number. Key it in with no dashes or spaces. Payments are available for use immediately.
2) Download the Add New mobile website onto your smartphone and/or tablet. Instructions can be found on the West Bend School District website using the Families tab.
If you choose to send a check or cash, place it in a deposit envelope with your student to bring to school. Make checks payable to West Bend Schools and write your student’s name in the memo section of the check. Elementary students give the check to their teacher, Silverbrook, Badger, and high school students can give it to the cashier in the meal line.
You can also mail a check or cash, with a note that has the student name. Send it to: WBSD Nutrition Department, 1305 East Decorah Road, West Bend, WI 53095. Checks are preferred since they can be tracked. Checks are processed electronically and may be withdrawn from your account the same day we receive your payment. Parents/guardians are charged the current bank fee rate for returned checks due to insufficient funds.
Negative Balance Procedure
To ensure that every child continues to receive nutritious meals each day, the West Bend School District will allow elementary, Silverbrook, and Badger family balances to fall $25.00 into the negative (-$25.00). High school accounts will be allowed to fall $6.00 into the negative (-$6.00). However, we’d greatly appreciate it if you would please make sure your balance remains in the positive.
To provide you with the most up-to-date information, the West Bend School District will communicate as follows:
- If you have elected to receive “low balance” email notifications through Skyward Family Access, a daily email will be sent once your family balance falls below $10.00 (positive). You will continue to receive those emails until your balance exceeds that low balance threshold.
- Automated low balance telephone calls are programmed to be sent Sunday through Thursday to normal and reduced-price accounts which have a balance that falls between $9.00 and $.01.
- Negative balance telephone calls are programmed to go out Sunday through Thursday to normal, free, reduced, and staff accounts that have reached a negative balance.
- A member of the School Nutrition staff will call you if your family account reaches negative $15.00 (-$15.00). You may also receive a follow-up email or be mailed a letter including the School Nutrition statement, free/reduced application, and payment envelope.
- If a high school balance falls below negative $6.00(-$6.00), students will be denied. We advise that high school students carry $3.00 cash to avoid denial of a lunch and/or extras.
- If at any point a student account balance should fall into the negative, your student will not be allowed to purchase any à la carte items from our school nutrition program. This includes an extra entrée, extra items sold, or an additional milk.
Please contact Christy Blum (cblum@wbsd-schools.org, 262-335-5469 with questions or concerns.