Rapid City Area Schools is committed to ensuring students have access to nutritious meals so they can focus on learning and succeed in the classroom.
🍎 No student is denied lunch due to an unpaid balance. RCAS serves lunch to any student who wants one, regardless of account status, and students are not given an alternative or substitute meal based on their balance. Breakfast service follows the district’s approved Meal Charge Policy: students with a negative balance are not served breakfast unless they qualify for free meals.
At the same time, federal regulations require school meal programs to be self-supporting, meaning costs must be covered through meal payments, reimbursements, and allowable funding sources. These funds support both the cost of meals and the wages of the employees who prepare and serve them. Over time, unpaid balances can impact the ability to continue to provide quality meal services districtwide.
Before any accounts are referred to collections, RCAS makes multiple outreach attempts throughout the school year, including mailed notices, emails, texts, and reminders to parents and guardians. Families are encouraged to apply for free or reduced-price meals if eligible, and our Student Nutrition team is available to work compassionately with families on payment plans, applications, and available support. Collections is reserved for ongoing, unresolved negative balances, not occasional or short-term situations. We make multiple attempts to communicate with families well in advance, and referrals are limited to cases of chronic nonpayment where there has been no response to outreach or requests for assistance.
💙 How the community can help: To assist families with the highest need, the Fed & Ready to Learn Fund was established in November 2023 and is managed through the Black Hills Area Community Foundation in partnership with the Rapid City Public School Foundation. Donations to this fund are used specifically to help reduce negative student meal balances.
👉 Donate here: https://bhacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund...
Last Tuesday, unpaid meal balances totaled $187,000. Thanks to families making payments when able and the use of community donations, that amount has already been reduced to $170,000.
While we deeply appreciate offers to cover all district balances, our approach this year is focused on sustainability. When families are able to make a payment toward their balance, community donations may be used to help cover the remaining amount, allowing limited funds to stretch further and support those with the greatest need. Families who are able to pay are encouraged to do so, allowing donated dollars to help others.
📌 Additional context: At the state level, momentum is also building around child nutrition. On Monday, January 26, the South Dakota House Education Committee voted 13-1 to advance legislation (HB 1082) to the House Appropriations Committee that would cover the cost of reduced-price meals if passed. Momentum continues at the state level to expand access to school meals for qualifying students, and RCAS supports this legislation.
Families needing assistance or with questions about meal accounts are encouraged to contact the RCAS Student Nutrition Office at 605-394-4061 or 844-641-5141 (toll-free).
Together, we remain focused on nourishing students, supporting families, and ensuring every child is ready to learn.