Food Services

Families who meet federal income guidelines may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. All information provided on the application is kept strictly confidential.

For assistance filling out the application, please review these instructions. For any additional questions, please contact the school office at (563) 556-5967.

If your child has a food allergy, intolerance, or requires a special diet, please complete a Diet Modification Form so our kitchen staff can safely accommodate their needs.

Seton's wellness policy supports the whole child through nutrition education, healthy school meals, physical activity, and a safe, welcoming environment that promotes students' physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Seton Catholic School provides nutritious meals to our students each school day. Families are responsible for maintaining sufficient funds in their student's meal account.

Meal Payments

Meal payments may be made online through the Seton Meal Payment Portal.

Families are encouraged to maintain a positive balance in their student's account. Payments brought to school may not be recorded the same day, so families should plan accordingly.

All payments will first be applied to an outstanding negative balance on the student's account.

Negative Meal Balances

Seton's negative balance policy is managed on a per-student basis.

Students may charge meals up to a negative balance of $50.00 per student. Seton will make reasonable efforts to communicate with families and obtain payment before the maximum negative balance is reached.

The following communication process will be used:

• $0.00 balance: A standard email and/or paper statement will be sent to the parent/guardian reminding the family to add funds to the account.
• $20.00 balance: A personalized email will be sent to the parent/guardian.
• $40.00 balance: The school will make a phone call to the parent/guardian.
• $50.00 balance: The student has reached the maximum negative balance under this policy, and Seton will follow its meal service procedures for students with unpaid meal charges.

Communications regarding meal account balances will be directed to parents or guardians rather than publicly identifying students with meal debt. Iowa law also prohibits schools from publicly identifying or stigmatizing students because of meal debt.

Free and Reduced-Price Meals

Families are strongly encouraged to apply for free and reduced-price meals if they believe they may qualify. The Iowa Department of Education provides current eligibility guidelines and application information.

If a student has an outstanding meal balance, families may be contacted with information about free or reduced-price meals or other assistance available to them.

Financial Assistance

Seton recognizes that families may experience financial difficulties that make it difficult to maintain a positive meal account balance.

Families experiencing financial hardship may complete the Seton Financial Assistance Form.

We encourage families to communicate with us early if they are having difficulty keeping their student's meal account current. We are happy to work with families whenever possible.

Questions

For questions about student meal accounts, please contact the Seton Catholic School office or Food Service Director.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement (Revised 2-15-23)

All FNS nutrition assistance programs, State or local agencies, and their subrecipients, must post the following Nondiscrimination Statement:

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/ad-3027.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:

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Iowa Nondiscrimination Statement (Revised 7-1-25)

It is the policy of this CNP provider not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or religion in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code section 216.6, 216.7, and 216.9. If you have questions or grievances related to compliance with this policy by this CNP Provider, please contact the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, 6200 Park Ave Suite 100, Des Moines, IA 50321-1270; phone number 515-281-4121 or 1-800-457-4416; website: https://icrc.iowa.gov/