Margaret Ellen Kalmanowicz

2006 ASBO International Pinnacle Award Recipient

Transportation is provided to all students enrolled in the public schools in Kent County in order to assure equal educational opportunities to all pupils. It is a privilege and not a right for a student to ride a bus as transportation to and from school and this privilege can be withdrawn.

In planning and carrying out this program, major consideration is given to caring for the safety of the children transported, to securing adequate service, to maintaining an efficient service which transports children to and from school with the least possible interruption to the school program, and to providing the service in the most economical manner.

The child nutrition programs are considered in every way to be an essential part of the child’s education day. Our work to educate the children, families and other providers will have a lasting impact on choices they will make for the rest of their lives. We choose to nourish their minds as well as their bodies, knowing that children are our future.

Since it’s beginning in the 1930s, the program has grown in every direction-from one meal a day during the school year to breakfast, lunch, after school snacks, and the summer food service program.

We are very proud of our meal program in Kent County and have a dedicated cafeteria staff. The cafeteria managers and persons in charge in each school are happy to assist parents, students and staff with questions about the meal program and their accounts.

Breakfast is available in every school. Prices are $1.25 for students and $2.40 for adults. Schools that qualify for the classroom breakfast have no charges to the students The breakfast is free to all students no matter what their meal classification is. The schools that participate in this program are: Henry Hyland Garnett Elementary School, Rock Hall Elementary School and Rock Hall Middle School.

Lunch prices are $2.00 for elementary students and $2.25 for middle and high school students. Adult lunches with milk may be purchased for $3.75. The higher prices charged adults are necessary to fulfill the school systems agreement when participating in the National School Lunch Program. Adults must pay the additional amount to cover the full cost of the meal because student meals are subsidized.

Computerized cash registers are used throughout Kent County Public Schools. All students receive a personalized meal express card with a bar-coded identification number to use when purchasing meals and/or a la carte items. At mealtime, the student will pass their card through a card reader and the computer will record the sale. At some schools a pin-pad may be used that students enter their unique meal identification number without the use of the meal express card.
Students may prepay into their account and meals and/or a la carte items will be deducted from it as they are used. If a student does not prepay they still need to use their student meal express card and cash money or money order to buy meals and/or a la carte items. Checks will not be accepted for payment of meals starting with the 2009-2010 school year.

The card system allows parents the convenience to secure healthy meals for their child through prepayment. Prepayment eliminates daily concerns over lunch/breakfast and a la carte money. The computer keeps track of remaining funds available and the status of the student’s account can be provided at any time.

CashlessSchools.com offers a unique opportunity for parents/guardians to prepay for student meals via the internet. Log on to CashlessSchools.com and make a payment using your credit card or echeck from your bank. The CashlessSchools.com service is provided at no cost to your school, leaving school funds available for the important work of educating students. A  fee is charged per transaction to the cardholder to cover all costs and maintaining the site, cost of electronically transferring money to your bank account, as well as charges from the credit card companies.

Multi-Child Meal Benefit Forms for free and reduced price meal eligibility are given to all students at the beginning of the school year or upon entrance of the school as a new student. Forms may be obtained throughout the school year at the school office or the Kent County Board of Education. The form can list students that attend all schools, thus eliminating duplication of completion of numerous forms. The applications are processed at the Kent County Board of Education. Students that qualify do not have to pay anything for meals if they qualify for free meals. If a student qualifies for reduced meals they pay $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch.

Sincerely,

Margaret Ellen Kalmanowicz
Supervisor of Transportation and Food Service