How It Works

Every student is assigned a student ID number and a meal account is created when they register with the Shoreline School District.

The account is similar to a checking account, where purchases are deducted from funds you apply to the account. At the start of the school year, we create a barcode card for each Elementary student to scan at the point of purchase. Students are taught by their teacher to pick up their card just prior to lunch each day. Middle and High School students type their student ID number into a pin pad at the register when making a food purchase. 

Funds can be applied to a student meal account in many ways. Click here for information about how to make a payment.

If you have any questions about student meal accounts, please contact us.

Read more about how meal accounts work in English - Vietnamese - Spanish - Chinese - Korean - Amharic

As a student transitions from elementary to secondary school, they will find that there are different processes and more food options. Read here to find out what a new middle schooler needs to know.

Viewing Purchase and Payment Activity

The “Food Service” tab on your Family Access page is your source to view the meal account balance, purchase activity and  payments. This is also where you can apply for meal benefits electronically. Click here to see a screenshot of the "Food" tab on Family Access.

You can print a report of your student's account activity for the current school year. Simply click on “Meal Statement” to generate the report. If you do not have your Family Access login information, contact the office at your student’s school.

Low Balance Notification 

To help avoid accounts from becoming overdrawn, each Monday, an automated low-balance email notification is sent if your student's account balance is below $18.25. This is an automated process.

Also available is an option to receive a daily email alert when your student's account reaches the $18.25 threshold. You must opt into this daily alert message on your Family Access account.

• Log in to your Family Access page.
• In the upper right corner of the page, select “My Account”.
• At the very bottom of the page, select “Receive Emails when Food Service Balance is under $18.25”.
• Select “Save” on the upper right corner.

If at any point you wish to no longer receive these daily notices, follow the same instructions to deselect this option in Family Access. We are unable to access this option in your account. If you do not have your Family Access login information, contact our office or the office at your student’s school.

Negative Meal Balances and Automated Notifications

If the balance of your student meal account falls into the negative, the registered parent/guardian will receive an automated notification either by phone, email or text (this will depend on the preferences you set in Parent Square).

Automated notifications are sent on Tuesdays and Fridays, each week, regardless of the amount of the negative balance. These messages are done as a service to the family to ensure that negative charges do not accrue drastically before a parent/guardian is notified. There may be times when a payment may not update to the student account before negative balance data is pulled from the computer system. To see up-to-date account information for your student, log in to your Family Access account and select the Food Services tab.

• District Meal Charging Procedure

The District maintains the negative balance procedure 8200P. The intent of this procedure is to ensure responsible financial management of the Food and Nutrition Services Program and consistent student-oriented practices at each school. This procedure is intended to be proactive and appropriate for students at different grade levels, with an emphasis on minimizing any embarrassment that can be caused by a student running out of money on their student meal account.