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Frequently Asked Questions
A. A school of 500 students can be set up in about four hours if your information is organized. The daily requirements include: collecting money (30 min.), input deposit to the computer (20 min.), lunch line (60 min.), and printing reports (15 min.).
Q. Do we have to purchase a card reader?
A. No. Some schools have used School Lunch Mac for years without the card reader. The card reader is simply a device to facilitate data entry.
A. None. School Lunch prints all forms for your record keeping. These reports or lists can be printed any time.
Q. How does a student pay for lunches?
A. The school can arrange that in any manner. We suggest students pay with a deposit slip. This is done in much the same way a person would deposit money to a bank account. This is a good learning experience and responsibility for all students.
Q. Where do we get the deposit slips?
A. A sample that may be duplicated is provided in the manual. Deposit slips can also be purchased from Rodlan in any quantity.
Q. Where do we get the cards and bar codes?
A. School Lunch is programmed to print the bar code on standard 1" mailing labels or on full pages that can be cut apart. We suggest that if a non-plastic card is used that the card be laminated for protection. Cards can last a year or more.
Q. Do we have to use a card?
A. No. Some schools have School Lunch Mac print a class list with balances each day and have the teachers mark the students that are eating lunch. The student numbers are entered into the computer in the office or at the lunch line.
Q. What happens when a card is lost or stolen?
A. When the loss is reported to the office the student is given a new account, number, and card. All of the student information is transferred to the new account. All of the information in the old account is replaced with an "X." The next time the old account is used the computer signals that the account is closed and this card should be taken from the student. It is unlikely that a second or third card will be stolen. We would suggest the school charge a dollar to issue a new student card, or issue a new account. Students need to respect and be responsible for their cards.
Q. How do parents like the program?
A. They love not having lost or stolen lunch tickets.
Q. How do students know when they are out of money?
A. School Lunch Mac will let students know when they are low on money or negative. A signal is given on the screen when dollar amounts fall below the set amount. At the end of the daily lunchroom report all accounts that have dropped below the desired level can be printed out.
Q. Can a student charge a lunch?
A. Yes. When the student pays money into the account School Lunch will credit the account and bring it up-to-date.
Q. How does the program handle reduced price students?
A. The same as any other student. Students can deposit any amount with no questions. Only qualified personnel know who they are.
Q. How are the free students handled?
A. The same as other students with the exception they never have to go to the office to make a deposit. The office may ask for a list of free students at anytime.
Q. How does School Lunch handle adults?
A. The very same as the regular students. Six lunch prices can be set: free, reduced, pay 1, pay 2, pay 3, and adult. There are also categories for adult and child guests.
Q. Is it difficult to change meal prices?
A. No. All prices can be changed in a few seconds with a few key strokes.
Q. Is it easy to notify parents when accounts become delinquent?
A. Yes. An add-on program allows parents to check their account on-line. E-mail notices can also be sent to parents. The office can compose a small general note to let the parents know what the student lunch balance is. This can be done for one student, one class, all delinquent accounts, or all accounts regardless of the balance
Q. Can refunds be made?
A. We suggest the school develop a refund slip, much like the deposit slip. Print the refund slip on pink paper. Make the withdrawal with a negative deposit at the same time you make the regular deposit.
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Q. Can more than one person use School Lunch at a time?
A. School Lunch is available in three configurations, single-user, multi-user and multi-school.
Single-user versions can only be used on one computer at a time. Many schools have successfully run the program at the lunch room and the office from a common server, but only one user at a time.
Multi-user versions are for a single school but allow multiple connections at the same time. Deposits can be made in the office while breakfast is running in the lunch room.
Multi-school versions allow small districts to connect to a common database keeping separate reports while allowing children from the same family to draw money from a family account. Multiple users can work simultaneously at each school.
