Quick Poll

If gas prices reach $5 per gallon by Memorial Day as many are predicting, will you seriously consider purchasing a more fuel-efficient automobile?

Blogs

Angela McRae

Tea with friends

Deberah Williams

Everyday Finesse

Lorrie Lynch

Who's News

Published Thursday, July 15, 2010 in Education

Parents can now charge school lunches

By Jeff Bishop

The Newnan Times-Herald

Parents will be able to use their credit cards and debit cards to pay for lunch charges when school ramps back up in August.

The Coweta County Board of Education approved the new plan after receiving a number of parent requests. "Parents have asked whether they could start paying for their student lunches with their credit cards online," Superintendent Blake Bass said at Tuesday's Coweta County Board of Education meeting.

Cathe Nixon of the school food service department explained the "MealpayPlus" system to the board. "This is a pre-payment system," she said. "Parents make deposits via the Web."

The payment service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, she said.

"There will be a one-time, free registration for each parent," said Nixon, and multiple children at various schools can be accommodated.

"You can make payment by phone or over the Internet, with checking or savings accounts through an e-check, or by using debit or credit cards," she said.

There is a 4.75 percent transaction fee for the service, but she noted that parents can still pay for lunch the old-fashioned way, by bringing a check or cash directly to the school.

"There is a fee, but only if you choose to pay it," she said. "We will still gladly take your checks or cash at the school," for which there is no fee.

The online system does have some benefits, however. It will allow parents to see exactly how much money is left in a child's lunch account. When money is added, the payment is posted immediately.

"It is instant, so if your son or daughter calls you and they don't have lunch money for the day, you just make a phone call or go online and they'll have the payment posted before your child ever gets in line."

Parents can sign up for e-mail notifications whenever the balance in their child's account gets low, she said. The purchase history also helps parents monitor the food choices their children are making.

Children will be identified using the same student identification number that's currently employed by the school system, she said.

"It's the same number they use to check out books from the library," she said.

"We look forward to starting this at the beginning of the school year," said Bass.