Food Service offices are located in Bedford High School, 8285 Jackman Rd, Temperance, MI 48182
DIRECTOR OF FOOD SERVICE & CHILD NUTRITION: Shelly Farris, Phone: 734-850-6127
FOOD SERVICE SECRETARY: Cassi Burkey, Phone: 734-850-6126
Our Mission is not only to feed all of Bedford Public School students, but to educate them about eating healthier. We strive to make meal time a pleasant experience for your child.
THE UNIVERSAL FREE SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAM HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.
However, families can still receive free, or reduced priced, school meals (breakfast and lunch) with the completion of the application or online through the Meal Magic Family Portal.
FOOD SERVICE IN OUR SCHOOLS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Each elementary building offers breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is served when your child gets off the bus. In most buildings, students are allowed a little extra time for breakfast. At lunch time we offer your child a choice of two entrees, two vegetables, and fruit. We offer a variety of milk.
JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL
There is a wide variety of menu options offered to the junior high and high school students. Both schools serve both breakfast and lunch.
All meal choices are available to any student on the National School Lunch and Breakfast free/reduced program.
A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
August 2022
Dear Parent or Guardian of Bedford Public Schools,
We are excited to see and serve the students as we welcome you back to school and back to the café! Below you can find some information and updates from our Food Service department.
The meal prices for 2022-2023 school year are as follows: Breakfast $1.30, Elementary Lunch $2.85, Middle School Lunch $3.00, and High School Lunch $3.00. For students who qualify for free or reduced meals: free students receive both Breakfast & Lunch at no cost, and reduced prices are $0.30 for Breakfast and $0.40 for Lunch.
We will continue to utilize our cloud-based software program, Meal Magic, to handle your student’s school lunch account. All balances and previous school year benefit information have been transferred over into the new school year.
We strongly encourage you to complete your free and reduced lunch application online if possible. The link can be found on Bedford’s Food Service page or you can go directly to https://bedfordps.familyportal.cloud/ to fill out an application. The website walks families through the application process in simple steps. Free and Reduced paper applications can also be found in the office at your child’s school. If your students qualified for free or reduced pricing for the 2021-2022 school year, your child will remain eligible until October 17, 2022. You must submit another application before that date or your benefits will expire and you will go to full pay. See Frequently Asked Questions document to find out more about free and reduced applications and if you qualify.
Students may pay for meals in advance by making a deposit to their student meal accounts. We recommend doing so as it speeds up service and provides more time for your child to eat. This can also be done at https://bedfordps.familyportal.cloud/ (formerly Send Money to School) where families can make online deposits and can view their student’s account information. You will need to set up a new account utilizing the same email address as you did with Send Money to School. There is a small transaction fee for depositing online with credit card. Cash and checks are also accepted at the registers. Please make checks payable to Bedford Public Schools.
Menus are available on the Bedford NutriSlice website: https://bedford.nutrislice.com/. You can also download the NutriSlice app on your smartphone for easy access. NutriSlice contains not only the menus, but the ingredients and nutrition info for each of your child’s meals!
We realize that it is possible for your child to forget his or her lunch money on occasion. The district’s policy, should this event occur, is to provide a lunch to your student and to charge the meal to their account.
Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions. We look forward to serving your student(s) this year!
Sincerely,
Shelly Farris
Food Service Director
Chartwells K12
[email protected]
Phone: 734.850.6127
New Family Portal Replaces SendMoneyToSchool.com
Meal Magic has replaced the SendMoneyToSchool.com with a new Family Portal for families to manage student meal accounts.
Families will need to create an account utilizing the following instructions:
1. Click the Register button to setup an account.
2. For the Username, enter the email address you used for SendMoneyToSchool.com.
3. Accept the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.
4. Check your email for an activation link and click it.
5. Follow the instructions to complete setup.
There are also tutorials in the Family Portal if you want more information on using it.
Once the setup is complete, all of your student's information and balances will transfer to their new account.
If you do go to the old Send Money to School site, there is a link to redirect you. Please search for Bedford Public Schools and then set up your account using the instructions above.
SERVICE FEE NOTICE
If parents would like to make deposits online via credit card, there is a $2.95 service charge for every $100 deposited ($2.95 for $0-$100, an additional $2.95 for $100.01-$200, etc.). We also take cash and checks at the register for deposit with no additional fees.
MEAL ACCOUNT INFORMATION
Bedford Food Service has implemented a computerized system for students to use for food service purchases that offers the following advantages:
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System allows for parental controls to be set on an individual basis.
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Assures privacy of students participating in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program for free or reduced meals.
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Students will use a PIN or Identification card to access their accounts. Student's PIN is their student numbers that they utilize for other services in the district such as media services and computer access.
You are able to view your student's account online, add money to their account, and apply for Free & Reduced School Meals. It not only helps speed up lines during meal service but allows you to track your student's spending. You will need your students PIN/Student number to set up and view account information and apply money. Tip: Set a low balance notification alert in your Profile settings!
Cash or check payments are still accepted and we encourage prepayments. Please place prepayments in an envelope marked with student's name and room/grade. Prepaying helps lines move more quickly and allows students more time to eat and socialize in the dining area!
Please call the Food Service Director, Shelly Farris, at 734-850-6127 or Food Service Secretary, Cassi Burkey, at 734-850-6126 if you have any questions about this process.
FREE & REDUCED PRICE SCHOOL MEALS
Bedford Public Schools participates in the USDA National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. Free or Reduced priced meals are available for those students/households that qualify. Benefits apply to both breakfast and lunch.
Please complete an application and submit for eligibility determination. Applications are available at all school building offices, or from the food service department, or can be printed using the link on the left. You can also apply online at: https://bedfordps.familyportal.cloud/.
A completed application must be received at the start of each school year for students to continue to receive meal benefits granted the previous school year. Applications are accepted at any point during the year. Applications may take up to 10 (ten) days to process. All information provided is confidential and is used only for determination of meal benefits and services available for the student. Free & reduced price meal transactions by the student at the point of purchase in the cafeteria are done in a manner that protects the privacy of the participants; fellow students and food service staff at the register would not be able to tell whether or not a student receives this benefit.
MOBILE FOOD PANTRIES
For a list of dates, locations and times, please use this link: Mobile Food Pantries in Monroe County.
NEGATIVE ACCOUNT BALANCE POLICY
Effective: January 2020
In an effort to control the debt incurred by the district through the breakfast and lunch programs, the BPS Food Service department will be implementing the following process for a la carte purchases. If a student has a negative account balance of more than $15, they will no longer be permitted to purchase a la carte items (i.e snacks such as chips, cookies, bottled beverages etc.) Please note that this is for a la carte items only, and does not change anything in regards to charging a meal. Students will never be denied a hot meal within our district.
In addition, free and reduced meal applications are always available throughout the school year should you need assistance from this program. Applications are available in your student's school office or you can apply online at https://bedfordps.familyportal.cloud/. Please reach out to the Food Service Department if you have any questions or concerns.
Meal Charging
Meal charging is designed to cover a situation in which parents forget to send or deposit money for breakfast or lunch. No alternate meals or ala carte items are allowed to be charged. Reminders of negative balances will be sent home with the student weekly, or parents/guardians will be notified via e-mail or phone by the Food Service office. Payment is expected within three days of receiving notification of the charge.
Bad Debt
Bedford Public Schools will ensure that all students receive a standard meal, including those students who do not have sufficient funds in their account or in hand to cover the cost of their full meal at the time of service. Students may not charge ala carte items, only a complete lunch. Debts incurred by the inability to collect meal payment from students will be pursued by the District in an effort to recover the debt incurred. The Superintendent is authorized to further define and implement meal charging and debt collection procedures. These procedures will provide consistent directions for families. Please note that negative balances carry over from year to year. We encourage families that find themselves in a situation where they are unable to pay for meals to apply for the Free and Reduced School Meal Program.
Medical Statement To Request Special Meals and/or Accommodations
A Special Dietary Needs Form is required by the USDA to be filled out if your child has any dietary restrictions. If you have any questions or concerns please contact food service department.
SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM
Summer meals are served during the summer at select locations and times in Monroe County for kids and teens. This is open to all children 18 and younger. There is no enrollment and no cost.
For information regarding Summer Food Service Programs, please visit the Michigan Department of Education Summer Food Service Program website.
MEAL PATTERN REQUIREMENTS
Lunch
Breakfast