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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="7-125" title_number="7" title_name="Public Schools" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="General Provisions">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “unpaid meal debt” means debt owed to a school by a student for school meals or insufficient funds in the student’s meal account.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A public school shall notify a parent or legal guardian of a student when there is a low balance in the student’s meal account and before the student accrues unpaid meal debt.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>A public school may not:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Communicate about unpaid meal debt directly with a student or in a manner that humiliates, embarrasses, or stigmatizes the student; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>In response to a student’s unpaid meal debt:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Require the student to wear a wristband, hand stamp, sticker, or other identifying mark;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Require the student to complete chores or tasks;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Deny a meal to the student;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Dispose of a meal after it has been served to the student; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Restrict a student from access to school records or participation in any school–related extracurricular activity.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>A public school may provide an alternative meal instead of a standard meal if the meal:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Meets the nutritional standards of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Is available to all students in the school, regardless of unpaid meal debt.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A public school shall ensure that a parent or legal guardian of each student is notified about the application process and eligibility requirements for the school’s free or reduced price meal programs by providing:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Assistance in understanding the application process and eligibility requirements; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Printed applications in multiple languages.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A public school shall allow a student to apply for the school’s free or reduced price meal programs at any time during the year.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>If a student who qualifies for a free or reduced price meal program transfers to another school within the same jurisdiction, the new school shall enroll the student in the corresponding free or reduced price meal program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>Each county board shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Determine whether each public school in its jurisdiction is in compliance with the policies and standards of the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding communications about meal charge policies; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Report to the Department its findings each year.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
