Flandreau Public School will enforce its lunch payment policy this year with the goal remaining that no child should go hungry.
Under the policy, families will get notified when their balance is negative $10, and at negative $15 students will not be allowed to buy extra entrees. When accounts are negative $40, they will be closed and students will be offered a sandwich, fruit or vegetable and milk for up to three days.
If a student is receiving free or reduced meals and goes to a negative balance, the student won’t be able to buy an extra entre or extra milk.
The district does have an angel fund to help students in need but the family first has to apply for free or reduced lunches, according to the policy. Any students can bring cash to eat on a specific day.
“We do have some very high negative balances from families that are full pay,” said Stacey VanBeek, business manager. “It is our goal that no child is hungry in our school. We have this policy. We have not been enforcing it.”

The board approved enforcing the policy.
“I don’t want to see anyone go hungry either, but we have options. They have options,” said Jamie Hemmer, board member. “Financially, we could fall back in a hurry if our families aren’t accountable for their lunch account.”
In other action,
•The board voted to give the Girls and Boys Club of Moody County a $5,000 donation from a non-tax dollar fund to help with a shortfall the club occurred when it didn’t receive a 21st Century grant July 1. The grant would have been for $100,000, and the club had received it in the past.
The club’s budget is $427,000, and administrators and board members are working to make up the difference the grant money would have provided. The club provides after-school homework help and a safe place for students to go for a snack and recreation.
•Board members had the final reading to name the football field the Jim “Tiger” McGlone field. A dedication will be made at halftime of the Aug. 30 football game.
•The board also gave final approval to a tobacco-free and smoke-free campus, which includes all of the district property.
•The district will sell its surplus football jersey after buying new ones this year. Cost is $25 a jersey. Both white and purple are for sale. Jerseys that aren’t sold now will go on an auction later.
•Board members approved the following hires: Lynn Witte, middle school secretary; Matt Joachims, middle school football coach; and Rebekah Ross, Katie Lefor and Nancy Spierling as paraprofessionals. Volunteer football coaches are Joe Parsley, Freddy Moran and Kaleb Haas.