CONROE – Parents in Conroe ISD are expressing outrage online after the district sent out a text informing them of the district’s meal policy that limits the number of days students can charge for meals before they are denied food.
The district clarified that the text was not sent out district-wide but was a campus-specific communication where the school name was accidentally left off. The text message sent states that secondary students cannot be charged more than 15 meals, including breakfast and lunch.
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Conroe ISD believes strongly that meeting the basic needs of every student is essential to success each day. For this reason, students with insufficient funds on their account are provided a 15-day grace period for breakfast and lunch. Our campuses contact the families of these students to share information about resources including the free and reduced lunch program. Often, families request assistance from our campus staff in completing these applications and accessing community resources. Throughout the year, notifications are also sent to assist parents in monitoring meal account balances. Annually, the District covers hundreds of thousands of dollars of unpaid lunch debt, over $550,000 in 2023-2024 alone. Communication on this topic has been going out regularly to families since the start of the school year through various methods, including campuses newsletters and emails.
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Once the 15-day limit is reached, students will no longer be able to charge additional meals until their account is brought up to date.
The text also emphasized that students who reach this limit “WILL NOT be given food” until their balance is paid. The district provided a link for families to apply for free or reduced-price meals if they need assistance, but many parents are still upset about the harsh nature of the policy.
“Conroe ISD: Due to CISD district policy, students at the secondary level will not be allowed to charge more than 15 days’ worth of meals total (breakfast and lunch). Once a student reaches the 15th charged day on their balance, they will NOT be able to charge another meal until their account is up to date, and they WILL NOT be given food.”
The message sparked an immediate backlash from parents, many of whom took to social media to express their frustration. Some parents pointed out that other nearby districts, including Houston ISD, Galveston ISD, and Klein ISD, offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of their account status.
According to Conroe ISD’s Child Nutrition Office, the district’s policy allows students to charge meals for up to 15 days before payment is required. If a student’s balance is not paid after the 15 days, the student will no longer be allowed to charge meals. Parents are encouraged to apply for free or reduced-price meals if needed, and applications can be completed online at MySchoolApps.com.
The district also clarified that parents can prepay for meals through the MySchoolBucks platform or by sending cash or checks directly to the school cafeteria. However, some parents remain concerned about the potential impact on students who fall behind on their meal accounts.
For families who qualify, the district offers free or reduced meals, but the application must be renewed each year and processed before students are eligible.
KPRC 2 has contacted Conroe ISD for further clarification and details regarding this meal policy.