LOGO
  • gallery image - Marcus Whitman Middle School
  • gallery image -
  • gallery image - Art by John Fladd 1972
  • gallery image -
  • gallery image - Rainbow Over the School

Quick Links

district home

Policies

print policy PRINT INFORMATION

Adoption Date: 9/22/2008
Regulations - Regulations


5323R REIMBURSEMENT FOR MEALS/REFRESHMENTS

Travel Outside of District/Emergency Meetings

 

         School District officials and employees are entitled to reimbursement for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. However, it is the position of the New York State Comptroller's Office that meals of public officers and employees generally should not be reimbursed or paid by the municipal entity unless the officer or employee is traveling outside his/her regular work area on official business for an extended period of time, or where events prevent him/her from taking off during mealtime for food consumption because of a pressing need to complete business. All requests for reimbursement must document who attended the meetings and how the meetings fit these conditions.

 

Staff/Board Meetings and District Events

 

         However, the Board of Education recognizes that at certain times it may be appropriate to provide meals and/or refreshments at District meetings and/or events which are being held for an educational purpose. Prior approval of the Superintendent/designee must be obtained for food and beverages provided at meetings or activities which will be charged to the District.

 

         Any such expenditures must be appropriately documented with an itemized receipt and information showing the date and purpose of the meeting, food served, who attended the meetings and why the attendees needed food and/or refreshments to conduct School District business. These requirements must be met for meals/refreshments provided by the school lunch fund or local vendors, charged to District credit cards and/or reimbursed to a School District official.

 

         In no case will the costs for meals exceed the current Federal per diem meal rates for the geographic area.

 

Employee Meals

 

         The following guidelines will govern District provided food and beverages:

 

 

 

Meals at Meetings

 

         The District may provide meals at meetings if the meeting is scheduled during a traditional meal period or goes over allotted time into the traditional mealtime. Generally this would occur only if scheduling did not allow the meeting to occur at other times. For example, if a meeting is scheduled From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., lunch may be provided. Whenever possible, the school food services will be used to provide such meals and they will consist of choices similar to those provided to adults in the school cafeteria.

 

Meals at Staff Development

 

         The District may make the choice to provide meals at full-day staff development or working meetings when the District wishes to avoid employees leaving for the traditional lunch break. In this circumstance, the meal would be provided on-site, using the criteria noted above.

 

Reimbursed Meals

 

         The District will reimburse meals while traveling at a cost of no more than fifty ($50) per day. The District will not provide meal reimbursement for any single meal above twenty-five ($25). The meal maximum assumes travel in major cities. Costs for local travel are expected to be lower. The District will not reimburse the costs of alcohol or entertainment. Gratuity is limited to 15% unless a larger gratuity is automatically charged.

 

         Exemption:  When a District employee or Board member attends an event in which the cost of the meal is embedded within the conference cost to supplement speaker fees, the District will reimburse the full cost of the event.

 

Other Reimbursed Meals

 

         The Superintendent may approve reimbursement for a meal as part of day-to-day business. For example, a Principal may wish to recognize a high performing class with a "pizza party" or may wish to take a candidate to lunch.

 

Special Events

 

         As part of the overall effort to recognize the contributions of staff and/or students, the Board may choose to provide meals or snacks at special events such as the opening day of school, Staff Recognition Day, and staff development days or any other such event.


Policy Cross References: